Comparative age study of the risk of demineralization during orthodontic treatment with brackets.

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the hypothesis of a higher risk of demineralization in regions adjacent to brackets at earlier age.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 42 persons (22 persons aged 11-15 years and 20 persons aged 19-24 years) in the process of orthodontic treatment with brackets was performed. The duration of the observation was 18 months. The object of evaluation were 508 vestibular surfaces of permanent teeth that had brackets fixed. The statistical analysis included non-parametric analysis and comparison of percentages. The attributive risk (AR) and the relative risk (RR) were also determined.

Results: After removal of brackets, 51.61% of the surfaces of the 11-15 year olds showed demineralization. In the 19-24 year age group this result was 6.92%. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The attributive risk was 86.59% and the relative risk was 7.45%. This indicates that age is a risk factor for demineralization adjacent to brackets.

Conclusion: The results of the study support the hypothesis of a higher risk of demineralization in regions adjacent to brackets at earlier age. This is a direct consequence of the lower resistance of the dental tissues and the poorer cooperation from the younger patients in the orthodontic treatment process.