| خلاصه مقاله | Background and aim: Orthodontic appliances (ligatures, braces, wires, etc.), are one of main sources of trauma in oral cavity. Friction between brackets and mucosa is a kind of chronic trauma which may cause buccal mucosal ulceration and is one of the most common complaints of patients during orthodontic treatment.
The aim of this study was to find out influence of the orthodontic devices on the oral epithelial cells.
Materials and methods: Cells of lower lip oral mucosa from 32 orthodontic patients were collected by exfoliative cytology in three times: Day 0 (just before appliance placement), and 14 and 60 days after appliance insertion. Nuclear (NA) and cytoplasmic (CA) areas, NA/CA ratio, cell morphology, and cellularity of smears were evaluated using cytologic and cytomorphometric methods. The Friedman test followed by Wilcoxon signed ranks test were used to compare the cell morphology in different times, and comparing NA and CA in different times was done by the repeated measures ANOVA followed by paired t-test. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.
Results: The NA of the cells adjacent to orthodontic devices diminished after appliance placement, and reached to its lower level in day 60 (P < 0.001). Investigated epithelial cells showed insignificant changes in CA. Type II inflammatory smears, according to Papanicolau, increased after the treatment initiation but were not statistically significant(P=0.338). Superficial epithelial cells, were predominant cell type in day 14 and 60 (P= 0.002).
Conclusion: Orthodontic appliances cause reduction in NA and induce epithelial hyperkeratosis in lower lip mucosa. |