Gingival health changes around temporary anchorage devices during COVID-19 quarantine – A longitudinal controlled report

• Published in: Seminars in orthodontics 2023-07
• Main Authors: Wafaie, Khaled, Mohammed, Hisham, El Sergani, Ahmed M., Rizk, Mumen Z., Zhu, Lingsu, Vandevska-Radunovic, Vaska, Yiqiang, Qiao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; Miniscrews; Oral health; Orthodontics; Temporary anchorage devices
• ISSN: 1073-8746; 1558-4631
• DOI: 10.1053/j.sodo.2023.07.002

•Clinicians could expect a possible increase in gingival inflammation around TADs during pandemic quarantine.•Proper education regarding compliance to oral hygiene measures during quarantine periods is mandatory.•Healthcare practitioners should explore alternative ways to patient education during unexpected events. Our aim was to assess the gingival health changes around temporary anchorage devices (TADs) during COVID-19 quarantine, and compare the results to a control group who did not experience quarantine-imposed restrictions. Forty-four orthodontic patients divided into two equal groups were included and clinically assessed using the modified gingival health index. Both groups comprised patients treated with fixed appliances with moderate/severe crowding, requiring maximum anchorage with TADs. The control group was prospectively followed up and assessed after the COVID-19 quarantine, while the quarantine group experienced COVID-19 quarantine. The mean difference in gingival inflammation scores between the two groups showed that the quarantine group had a higher mean increase (mean increase = 0.75 ± 0.65) in gingival inflammation score than that of the control group (mean increase = 0.45 ± 0.59). The difference was statistically significant with a two-tailed p-value of 0.028 (95% CI = 0.032, 0.559). Experiencing COVID-19 quarantine period is associated with increased gingival inflammation around TADs. Understanding the clinical implications of these findings is pivotal to ensure optimum oral health during pandemic quarantines. As such, clinicians should identify better strategies to educate patients regarding compliance with oral hygiene measures.