Periodontal evaluation of tooth brushing technique with and without miswak in orthodontic patients with fixed orthodontic appliances- a clinical study

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to find whether the use of miswak along with tooth brushing affect the oral hygiene of orthodontic patients- a clinical study.Material & Methods: Forty orthodontic patients were selected and they were guided to change the tooth brushing habit throughout the orthodontic treatment. The participants were divided into two groups A- tooth brushing only and B tooth brushing with miswak. The participants were observed over a period of 6 months after every three months. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. One sample "t" test was used at a level of significance p less than 0.05. Results: At the end of 6 months, there was a statistically significant reduction of both plaque and gingival index in both the groups. At the end of study reduction for plaque index and gingival index was more for group B. In plaque index a statistically significant difference was noticed between group A and group B at the second, third and fourth exam whereas in gingival index significant difference was noticed at the second and fourth examination.Conclusion: Miswak has an additional advantage on the maintenance of periodontal health in orthodontic patients over a period of 6 months.