Orthodontist and periodontist's knowledge, attitudes and aspects of clinical practice, regarding fixed lower orthodontic retainers.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and aspects of the clinical practice of orthodontists and periodontists, regarding lower fixed orthodontic retainers. METHODS: The orthodontists (n=502) and periodontists (n=269) who participated in this cross-sectional observational study received, via e-mail, questions related to the type of lower fixed retainer, dental biofilm accumulation, oral hygiene, and potential periodontal changes. The data were subjected to chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, at 5% significance level. RESULTS: Both orthodontists (72.3%) and periodontists (58.7%) reported that hygienic retainers accumulate more dental biofilm (p< 0.05), and 64.1% of orthodontists and 58.7% of periodontists considered that modified retainers may lead to periodontal changes (p< 0.05). There was no significant difference between the dental specialties, regarding the type of lower fixed retainer considered the easiest for the patient to perform hygiene (p> 0.05), whereas 48.6% of professionals chose the modified type. CONCLUSION: The modified retainer accumulates a greater amount of dental biofilm and, in the perception of orthodontists and periodontists, it may cause periodontal changes.

Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects of Zingiber officinale mouthwash on patients with fixed orthodontic appliances.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects of mouthwashes with 0.12% chlorhexidine (CLX) and 0.5% Zingiber officinale essential oil (ZOEO). METHODS: The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of ZOEO was developed, and the mouthwash was prepared. Thirty-one adult subjects of both sexes with fixed orthodontic appliances were selected. For 7 days, the mouthwashes with CLX, ZOEO, and flavored sterile water placebo were used randomly, with a 15-day interval between each solution. Saliva was collected before the first mouthwash, 1 minute and 15 minutes after it, and on the seventh day. The patients were subjected to clinical examinations of the bonded bracket index proposed by Ciancio, bleeding on probing, and sensory analysis (flavor). Generalized linear models were used to assess in vitro cell viability. The GENMOD procedure was used to assess the changes of bleeding on probing, and Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were used for data on colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL), bonded bracket index, and flavor, at the 5% significance level. RESULTS: In the microbiologic analysis, the ZOEO mouthwash presented antimicrobial effectiveness for Streptococcus mutans as well as the CLX mouthwash, but it did not show the same substantivity. The ZOEO was efficient in controlling dental biofilm and reducing gingival bleeding. The sensory analyses showed that the flavor for ZOEO and CLX solutions presented low acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: The ZOEO mouthwash has an anti-inflammatory property with an effect on reducing gingival bleeding. However, it requires adjustments to the formulation to improve flavor quality.