Periodontal status following orthodontic mini‐screw insertion: A prospective clinical split‐mouth study

BACKGROUND: Anchorage control is one of the most important determinants of orthodontic treatments. Mini‐screws are used to achieve the desired anchorage. Despite all their advantages, there is a possibility that treatment will not be successful due to conditions related to their interaction with the periodontal tissue. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the status of the periodontal tissue at the sites adjacent to the orthodontic mini‐implants. METHODS: A total of 34 teeth (17 case and 17 control) in 17 orthodontic patients requiring a mini‐screw in the buccal area to proceed with their treatment were included in the study. Oral health instruction was provided to the patients prior to the intervention. In addition, scaling and root planing of the root surface were done using manual instruments and ultrasonic instruments if needed. For tooth anchorage, a mini‐screw with Elastic Chain or Coil Spring was used. The following periodontal indices were examined in the mini‐screw receiving tooth and the contralateral tooth: plaque index, pocket probing depth, attached gingiva level (AG), and gingival index. Measurements were made before the placement of the mini‐screws and 1, 2, and 3 months following that. RESULTS: The results revealed a significant difference only in the amount of AG between the tooth with mini‐screw and the control tooth (p = 0.028); for other periodontal indices, there were no significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that periodontal indices in adjacent teeth of the mini‐screws do not change significantly compared to other teeth and mini‐screws can be used as a suitable anchorage without posing a threat to the periodontal health. Using mini‐screws is a safe intervention for orthodontic treatments.