Role of taste perception in white spot lesion formation during orthodontic treatment

ABSTRACT Objectives: To investigate the role of individual's taste sensitivity using 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) in the development of white spot lesions (WSLs) in adolescent orthodontic patients. Materials and Methods: 44 healthy adolescents, aged 12 to 16 years old, who were in fixed-appliance orthodontic treatment for at least 6 months, consented to participate in this cross-sectional study. Data regarding participants' demographic information, oral hygiene practices, and dietary habits were obtained by a questionnaire. An oral clinical examination was performed to determine the oral hygiene status, the presence of WSLs and dental caries experience. The taste phenotype of the participants was evaluated through PROP test and they were accordingly divided into PROP nontasters and PROP tasters. Results: The sample consisted of 24 subjects in the WSL group and 20 subjects in the WSL-free group. The WSL group demonstrated higher mean plaque score (48.2), mean decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (2.38), an...