Comparative Study of Periodontal Status of Early Orthodontic Subjects treated with Self-ligating Brackets vs Conventional Edgewise Brackets

Objective: To evaluate the periodontal changes that occur during the leveling and alignment stage in orthodontic patients treated with self-ligating and conventional brackets. Materials and methods: A total of 100 orthodontic subjects aged 12 to 20 years were scheduled for fixed orthodontic treatment were selected for this study. Subjects were divided into two groups— Group 1 consists of 50 patients treated with self-ligating bracket (SLB) (aged 13.88 ± 2.26) and Group 2 consists of 50 patients treated with conventionally ligated bracket group (aged 14.29 ± 2.46). Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth and bleeding on probing were recorded 1 week before bonding and 3 months after bonding. Paired t-test, unpaired t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were performed to compare the groups statistically (p = 0.05). Results: Significant increase in PI, GI, probing depth, bleeding on probing were observed in each Group 3 months after bonding. Though the periodontal parameters were increased more in Group 2 than in Group 1 in 3 months, no statistically significant differences were noted between the groups. Conclusion: The use of SLBs or the conventionally ligated brackets have no difference in the periodontal response in early orthodontic patients. Oral hygiene prophylaxis before the start of the orthodontic treatment and its maintenance throughout the treatment duration is of prime importance.