Biological Consequences and Assessment Methods Analysis of Fixed Orthodontic Appliances on Oral Epithelial Cells: A Systematic Review

TL;DR

This systematic review examines how fixed orthodontic appliances affect oral cells, finding reversible changes without dysplasia.

Contribution

The study systematically reviews biological effects of orthodontic appliances on oral epithelial cells, emphasizing reversibility and absence of dysplastic changes.

Findings

Fixed orthodontic appliances increase metal content and cause cytological and nuclear changes.

Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects are observed, but no dysplastic changes were found.

Changes tend to regress over time, suggesting reversibility.

Abstract

Fixed orthodontic appliances (OAs) expose the oral mucosa to mechanical traumas and metal ions throughout the whole orthodontic therapy. This review aims to understand the cytological and genetic changes consequent to fixed orthodontic therapy, their clinical implications, and how they can be assessed.

A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Web of Science using MeSH terms related to cytology, DNA damage, mutagenicity, and orthodontic appliances. The PICO model and PRISMA guidelines were followed. The risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS‐I tool, and study quality was evaluated with the NHLBI Quality Assessment Tools. Two independent evaluators assessed the methodological quality of the included studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) levels of evidence; inter‐reviewer agreement was measured using Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ = 0.80).

Nineteen prospective and cross‐sectional studies were included in the analysis. The findings suggest the presence of higher metal cellular content, as well as cytological changes, nuclear alterations, and cytotoxic and genotoxic effects. Different appliance compositions and treatment durations may influence the biological consequences. The analysis shows a tendency toward regression, especially for nuclear alterations. No dysplastic changes have been observed in any of the studies included.

OAs cause cellular alterations, which tend to be reversible and do not seem to evolve into dysplastic changes. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies with standardized methodologies to better understand the persistence and reversibility of the changes associated with OAs, as well as exploring alternative materials that pose less risk during orthodontic treatment.

Figures