Microbiological Advances in Orthodontics: An Overview and Detailed Analysis of Temporary Anchorage Devices

Dental biofilm is the initiating factor of oral diseases, such as periodontitis and caries. Orthodontic treatment could alter the microbiome structure balance, and increase the risk of such diseases. Furthermore, fixed appliances can induce temporary changes in the microbiome community, and the changes that clear aligners bring are smaller by comparison. Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are skeletal anchorages that are widely used in orthodontic treatment. Microorganisms affect the occurrence and development of inflammation surrounding TADs. At present, existing researches have verified the existence of plaque biofilm on the surface of TADs, but the formation of plaque biofilm and plaque composition under different stable conditions have not been fully understood. The development of high-throughput sequencing, molecular biology experiments, and metabonomics have provided new research ideas to solve this problem. They can become an effective means to explore the microbiome surrounding TADs.