Periodontal Status And Oral Hygiene Compliance Of Orthodontic Patients In A Tertiary Hospital in South-South Nigeria

Introduction: The attachment of fixed orthodontic appliances to the teeth require rigorous oral hygiene efforts in order to maintain the good oral hygiene that is needed to prevent periodontal disease. The use of correct toothbrushing technique, frequency and duration as well as self-motivation of the patients to embrace good oral hygiene practices are keys to having healthy periodontium during orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of and attitude towards maintenance of good oral hygiene practices and the periodontal status of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment in a Teaching Hospital in South-South, Nigeria. Methods: This study was carried out on the 77 orthodontic patientswho attended the out-patient orthodontic clinic in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Dental Centre between January 2021 and May 2021. Data was collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire after which an intra-oral and periodontal examination of each participant was carried out. Results: Participants majorly brushed their teeth twice a day (56,72.7%) using the horizontal toothbrushing method (28,36.4%) whilst about a quarter (20, 26.0%) brushed more than twice a day.Gingivitis was present in almost all the participants (68, 88.3%) (p=0.023).The duration of orthodontic treatment affected the oral hygiene status of the studied participants (p=0.034). Conclusion: Adolescents, female participants and those on less than 18 months of orthodontic treatment had better mean plaque and oral hygiene indices.The participants were not meticulous in plaque control and did not seem torealizethe effect of their orthodontic appliances on their periodontal health.