Incidence of white spot lesions and DMFT among patients treated with comprehensive orthodontics (original) (raw)

Aim: The development of new caries lesions in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment is an undesirable side effect of treatment that arises because the fixed appliance tends to accumulate plaque. The aim of this study was to examine the white spot lesions (WSL), caries incidence, and decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) indices in patients with fixed orthodontic treatments. Methodology: The records of 150 patients treated at Necmettin Erbakan University Department of Orthodontics between 2018 and 2022 who met the study selection criteria were examined. Traditional methods and 2D color photographs were used to detect cavities. Pretreatment (T0) and post-treatment (T1) recordings were made. Results: Overall, 118 patients (78.6%) developed at least 1 new WSL during treatment and 49 patients (32.6%) developed active caries lesions. Increases in WSL, caries incidence, and the DMFT index were important during the treatment process. The length of treatment and the number of oral hy...