Objectives. This review aims to evaluate the effect of orthodontic therapy on periodontal health. Data. Original articles that reported on the effect of orthodontic therapy on periodontal health were included. The reference lists of potentially relevant review articles were also sought. Sources. A literature search was conducted using the databases, Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for relevant studies. The search was carried out by using a combined text and the MeSH search strategies: using the key words in different combinations: “periodontal disease,” “orthodontics” and “root resorption.” This was supplemented by hand-searching in peer-reviewed journals and cross-referenced with the articles accessed. Articles published only in English language were included. Letters to the Editor, historical reviews and unpublished articles were not sought. Conclusions. Within the limitations of the present literature review, it was observed that there is a very close inter-relationship between the periodontal health and the outcome of orthodontic therapy.

Aim The purpose of this study was to assess the difference in the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) and the oral health status between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Methods This cross-sectional study included 150 pregnant women (mean age 23.8 ± 3.01) and 150 non-pregnant women (mean age 25.2 ± 3.35). Data were collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire, followed by an oral examination. Oral health impact profile-49 (OHIP-49) questionnaire was used to capture the individual's perceived OHRQoL. The periodontal disease assessment was based on the pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) measured with the cemento-enamel junction as the reference point. Decayed (D), Missing(M) and Filled (F) teeth (DMFT) index was used to measure the caries experience. Results The overall OHIP score for pregnant women (47.33 ± 8.56) was significantly (p = 0.03) higher, when compared to non-pregnant women (37.87 ± 9.61). Higher scores indicate a poorer OHRQoL among the pregnant women. Fourteen items of the OHIP-49 were higher for pregnant women and the subgroups that were significantly different between the two groups were: 'functional limitation', 'physical pain', 'psychological discomfort', 'psychological disability' and 'handicap'. The mean PD and CAL for pregnant women was significantly higher than that of non-pregnant women (p < 0.01). Dichotomized DMFT scores (≤6 and >6) showed significant difference (p < 0.01) between the two groups. Multivariate regression model showed that periodontitis (p = 0.01) and pregnancy status (p < 0.01) had a positive linear relationship with OHIP-49 scores after adjusting for all other variables. Conclusion The periodontal health and OHRQoL of pregnant women was poorer than non-pregnant women.

ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of malocclusion and its relationship with dental caries among school children in southern India.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 1,800 students aged 11 - 15 years whose Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) and dentition status were recorded and analyzed. The chi-square test, ANOVA, and Spearman's correlation tests were carried out.ResultsThe mean DAI score ± the standard deviation was 18.61 ± 6.1. Approximately 85% of the students (83.0% males, 86.8% females) had DAI scores of < 26 and were classified as not requiring orthodontic treatment. One tenth of the sample had mean DAI scores between 26 - 30 (indicating definite malocclusion and elective treatment), while about 3% had mean scores between 31 - 35 (indicating severe malocclusion and treatment desirability). Only 29 children (1.6%; 16 boys, 13 girls) had a DAI score of > 35, which suggested very severe or handicapping malocclusion requiring mandatory treatment. The mean decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) was 2.28 ± 1.47. A DMFT of > 0 was observed in 91.8% of the study subjects. Children with a DAI score of > 35 were found to have significantly (p < 0.001) higher caries experience as compared to other children. Moreover, the DAI scores showed a significant correlation with the mean DMFT scores (r = 0.368, p < 0.05).ConclusionsA positive correlation was found between the severity of malocclusion and dental caries.