Periodontal implications of bonded versus removable retainers

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Periodontology
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Removable retainers are traditional orthodontic appliances.
• Bonded lingual (fixed) retainers have gained popularity in recent decades.
• Assessing the periodontal impact of retainer type is crucial for long-term oral health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare gingival conditions between patients using removable and fixed orthodontic retainers.
• To investigate differences in plaque and calculus accumulation based on retainer type.
• To evaluate changes in gingival health over a six-month retention period.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 36 patients (22 fixed, 14 removable retainers).
• Gingival health assessed using Modified Gingival Index, bleeding on probing, and gingival crevicular fluid.
• Plaque Index and calculus levels measured on lingual surfaces from canine to canine.
• Measurements taken at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-retention.

Main Results:

• Gingival inflammation generally decreased over the retention period for both groups.
• Both retainer types exhibited comparable levels of limited gingival inflammation.
• The fixed retainer group showed slightly higher plaque and calculus accumulation.
• Increased plaque and calculus in the fixed group did not correlate with more severe gingival inflammation.

Conclusions:

• Neither removable nor fixed retainers caused significant detrimental gingival effects within the evaluated six-month period.
• Fixed retainers may require more diligent oral hygiene due to increased plaque and calculus.
• Clinicians can be reassured about comparable gingival health outcomes with either retainer type in the short term.