[Method for assessment and control of deposited plaque upon removable plastic orthodontic apparatuses]

The keeping of oral hygiene is of great importance during orthodontic treatment--for prophylaxis of caries and gingivae. The authors propose and Index for the hygiene of orthodontic apparatuses (IHOA) for the broad orthodontic practice, that is based on staining and scraping of the accumulated plaque by four fields of the removable orthodontic apparatus--in contact with the dental-gingival and mucosal surfaces. The scores from 0 to 3 enable the modification of the behaviour of the stomatologist and parents as regards the motivation, control and necessity of additional means for attaining the desired hygiene of the orthodontic apparatus.