Oral comfort, function and hygiene in patients with lingual brackets. A prospective longitudinal study

Abstract

Background: Oral comfort, speech, mastication and swallowing, as well as oral hygiene were to be evaluated in a prospective longitudinal study before and after insertion of lingual brackets.

Patients and method: 22 patients (five male, 17 female, mean age 34.7 years, SD 10.4) were enrolled in the study and filled in a standardized questionnaire directly before placement of lingual brackets (T0), within 24 hours thereafter (T1), and 3 months (+/- 1 week) later (T2). At both T1 and T2, treatment was confined to the upper arch.

Results: In comparison with T0, significantly poorer results were recorded at T2 for the parameters "restriction of the tongue space", "lesions to the tongue", "tongue position", "subjective and semiobjective rating of articulation", "chewing", "biting" and "oral hygiene", although significant improvements, i.e. adaptations, had been recorded from T1 to T2 with the exception of the parameters "tongue space", "tongue position", "chewing", "biting" and "oral hygiene". At none of the registration timepoints was fluid intake impaired by the lingual brackets.

Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that detailed briefing on the extent and duration of potential impairments in oral comfort, functions and hygiene is advisable prior to the insertion of lingual brackets.