Clinical and Biochemical Evaluation of Oral Irrigator Effectiveness in Fixed Orthodontic Treatment: A Randomised...

This study aimed to compare the clinical and biochemical effectiveness of using an oral irrigator (OI) and an interdental brush (IB) during fixed orthodontic treatment.

A total of 30 patients with fixed orthodontic treatment were included in the study. All participants were randomly divided into two equal groups: patients using OI (OI-group) and patients using IB (IB-group). The patients were followed regularly; clinical evaluations were performed at 4 different times (baseline, 2nd, 4th, and 8th weeks), and gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected simultaneously. Total and concentration levels of IL-1β, IL-10, MMP-1, and MMP-8 from the collected gingival crevicular fluid samples were evaluated by the ELISA method. Clinical and biochemical differences that occurred at different times between the two groups were statistically examined.

The GI and BOP values at the 8th week (p < 0.001) and PI values at the 2nd (p = 0.004), 4th (p = 0.003), and 8th weeks (p < 0.001) were found to be statistically lower in the OI-group. Total IL-1β values in the 2nd week (p = 0.016), and total MMP-8 values in the 4th (p = 0.006) and 8th weeks (p = 0.01) were statistically lower in the OI-group. There were no significant differences in MMP-1 and IL-10 values between the groups at any time interval of the study (p > 0.05).

This study demonstrated that the use of an oral irrigator in conjunction with a toothbrush resulted in lower levels of gingival inflammation markers and plaque compared to an interdental brush in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment, suggesting that the oral irrigator served as a beneficial tool for supporting periodontal health during orthodontic treatment.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05562986.