Effects of orthodontic treatment with a fixed appliance on the caries experience of patients with high and low risk of caries

Abstract Background/purpose We tested the hypothesis that there are no differences between changes in the caries experience in a group of orthodontic patients at high and low risk for caries. Materials and methods Data were obtained from clinical and radiographic examinations of 186 orthodontic patients being treated with a fixed appliance in both arches. Patients were divided into two groups based on their prebonding decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT) scores and caries risk susceptibility. Statistical analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney U tests. Results Changes in DMFT values were 0.39 ± 0.66 and 1.46 ± 1.24 for the low- and high-caries risk groups, respectively. Changes in each group were significant (P