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Background. Objective assessment of daily wear time of removable appliances is possible, so the next step is to ascertain whether the severity of malocclusion influences patients' compliance. This could help resolve the controversy over the question of whether removable appliance therapy truly works.

The study's main objective is to limit bacterial biofilm formation on fixed orthodontic appliances. Bacterial biofilm formation on such devices (e.g., brackets) causes enamel demineralization, referred to as white spot lesions (WSL). WSL is significant health, social and economic problem. We provide a nanotechnology‐based solution utilizing a nanocomposite of gold nanoparticles embedded in a polyoxoborate matrix (BOA: B—boron, O—oxygen, A—gold, Latin aurum). The nanocomposite is fully inorganic, and the coating protocol is straightforward, effective, and ecologically friendly (low waste and water‐based). Prepared coatings are mechanically stable against brushing with a toothbrush (up to 100 min of brushing). Bacteria adhesion and antibacterial properties are tested against Streptococcus mutans—common bacteria in the oral cavity. BOA reduces the adhesion of bacteria by around 78%, that is, from around 7.99 × 105 ± 1.33 × 105 CFU per bracket to 1.69 × 105 ± 3.07 × 104 CFU per bracket of S. mutans detached from unmodified and modified brackets, respectively. Modified fixed orthodontic brackets remain safe for eukaryotic cells and meet ISO 10993‐5:2009 requirements for medical devices. The gathered data show that BOA deposited on orthodontic appliances provides a viable preventive measure against bacteria colonization, which presents frequent and significant complications of orthodontic treatment.

The development and introduction of temporary intraoral anchorage devices (TISAD) in the beginning of the 21 st century had a great impact on contemporary orthodontics. The enhancement of the scope of orthodontic treatment, improved efficiency, reduction of both the treatment time and need for the patient's compliance, all of these are the crucial advantages the TISAD have provided to our profession. However, there are also some limiting factors pertaining to this anchorage reinforcement technique which must be borne in mind prior to clinical application. Among some others, premature failure of the micro-implants is the most significant problem related to their utilization, as it entails a repetition of the insertion procedure, increasing the cost and duration of treatment and causing the patient's discomfort. Therefore, recognition of the factors related to the stability of orthodontic micro-implants is necessary for their efficient clinical application and maximum survival rates. Since over the last decade there has been noteworthy progress in the research investigating the issue of micro-implant stability, a review of the most current literature pertaining to this topic was the aim of our article, and ultimately providing clinical recommendations.

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