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Published on: November 9, 2014
Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and metal release in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances: a longitudinal in-vivo
Hend Salah Hafez1, Essam Mohamed Nassef Selim, Faten Hussein Kamel Eid
1Department of Orthodontics, Oral and Dental Research Division, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
Introduction:
Treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances in the corrosive environment of the oral cavity warrants in-vivo investigations of biocompatibility.
Methods:
Eighteen control and 28 treated subjects were evaluated longitudinally. Four combinations of brackets and archwires were tested. Buccal mucosa cell samples were collected before treatment, and 3 and 6 months after appliance placement. The cells were processed for cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and nickel and chromium contents.
Results:
In the treatment group, buccal mucosa cell viability values were 8.1% at pretreatment, and 6.4% and 4.5% at 3 and 6 months, respectively. The composite score, a calculated DNA damage value, decreased from 125.6 to 98.8 at 6 months. Nickel cellular content increased from 0.52 to 0.68 and 0.78 ng per milliliter, and chromium increased from 0.31 to 0.41 and 0.78 ng per milliliter at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Compared with the control group, the treated subjects showed significant differences for DNA damage and chromium content at 3 months only.
Conclusions:
Fixed orthodontic appliances decreased cellular viability, induced DNA damage, and increased the nickel and chromium contents of the buccal mucosa cells. Compared to the control group, these changes were not evident at 6 months, possibly indicating tolerance for or repair of the cells and the DNA.
