orthodontics highlights

Contact address: Matheus Melo Pithon Av. Otávio Santos, 395 – Sala 705 – Vitória da Conquista/BA, Brazil CEP: 45020-750 E-mail: matheuspithon@gmail.com * Professor, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia (UESB), Department of Orthodontics, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil. Submitted: January 04, 2016 Revised and accepted: January 20, 2016 ANTIMICROBIAL ADDITION DOES NOT INTERFERE IN ORTHODONTIC COMPOSITES’ RESISTANCE The aesthetic, functional and social benefits achieved with orthodontic correction have already been well discussed and documented in the literature. To this end, modern Orthodontics uses accessories attached to the teeth to be moved. Despite all the benefits mentioned above, drawbacks still exist regarding the use of fixed orthodontic appliances, such as cleaning difficulties. The lack of proper hygiene can lead to the appearance of white spot lesions on the tooth enamel, which may progress to greater loss of tooth structure. Nevertheless, what could be done to alleviate such a trivial problem? There are several options, such as topical application of fluoride and sealants. But what could be effective, practical, and not requiring greater clinical time? From this perspective, studies arise in the literature in which antimicrobials are added to bonding agents in order to solve these problems. However, a certain doubt comes with it: does the addition of these antimicrobial agents compromise the resistance of these materials? Aiming to answer this question, Brazilian researchers developed a meta-analysis which evaluated several studies available in the literature. The results demonstrated that the addition of antimicrobial agents does not alter the bonding strength of materials. The authors pointed out that it cannot be said which antimicrobial should be best associated, since this was not the purpose of the study.