Current trends in miniscrew utilization among Indian orthodontists

Abstract

Background:There is limited data about current utilization of miniscrews in orthodontic practices in India. The purpose of this survey was to obtain information on clinical utilization of miniscrews among orthodontists in India.Materials and Methods:A survey questionnaire was prepared and mailed to 2100 qualified and registered orthodontists in India.Results:A total of 1691 orthodontists responded to the survey, with a response rate of 80.52%. Among them, 952 (56.3%) had never used miniscrews in their clinical practice. Seven hundred and thirty-nine (739) (43.7%) had utilized miniscrews in their treatment, at some point of time. Among the orthodontists who used miniscrews, 463 (62.65%) used a surgical guide for positioning the miniscrews and 276 (37.35%) placed miniscrews without a surgical guide. Six hundred and thirty-four (634) (85.79%) orthodontists placed the miniscrews personally while 105 (14.21%) utilized the help of other specialists for placing the miniscrews. Among the orthodontists who used miniscrews, 76 (10.28%) utilized the help of oral surgeon to place the miniscrews while 29 (3.93%) utilized the help of periodontists to do the procedure.Conclusion:Miniscrews are a useful addition to the orthodontic armamentarium. The major indication for miniscrew was indirect anchorage in critical anchorage cases. The most important factors in determining the clinical utilization of miniscrews as a part of the treatment modality depends upon operator training and skill; fear of complications, patient refusal to accept miniscrews and the clinician's preference for conventional methods without unnecessary invasive procedure.

Use of orthodontic mini-screws among orthodontists in Saudi Arabia

“…The study by Meeran et al, found that while 62.65% of orthodontists used surgical guides, 37.35% did not use a guide for mini-screw placement. 20 Furthermore, 60.2% practitioners in our study indicated that they loaded mini-screws immediately after placement, which is less than that reported in another study 93.6%. 19 Loading time may differ depending on the given case.…”

“…Another study indicated that most orthodontists 54% used a combination of topical and local anesthesia. 20 In present study, there was no significant association between type of anesthesia and implant success (p >0.05). Moreover, a 70-90% success rate noted by the majority of respondents in this study was consistent with previous studies.…”

“…This value is much higher than values previously reported in India 43.7% and France 66%, but is similar that reported by a survey conducted in the United States 80%. [19][20][21] A large proportion of respondents 40.6% in present study indicated that they had been using mini-screws for 1-5 years. A similar proportion of respondents 39.1% indicated that they had only used mini-screws in 1-10 cases, verifying the status of mini-screw implantation as a fairly new technique in Saudi Arabia.…”

“…This is consistent with the findings of Meeran et al, 85.8%. 20 In contrast, a study showed that only 43% of orthodontists preferred to place mini-screws them-selves. 12 In this study, consultants were more familiar with miniscrews and had more years of experience using them than other professionals (p <0.05).…”

“…19 Meeran et al, similarly investigated the use of mini-screws among orthodontists in India, and several such studies have been conducted in the United States. [20][21][22] In contrast, orthodontic mini-screw implants are relatively new in Saudi Arabia, such that no study to date has investigated mini-screw implantation in this context. Therefore, the goal of this research was to assess miniscrew implant use in Saudi Arabia; to identify any problem areas preventing orthodontists from utilizing mini-screws; and to determine whether mini-screw usage varies between the private and govern-mental sectors.…”