Effects of QScan on Plaque And Demineralisation in Orthodontic Patients

Objectives: To test the efficacy of the QScan oral hygiene device used by patients with fixed orthodontics appliances and its effect on plaque accumulation and demineralisation.
Methods: A randomised control trial was conducted recruiting 60 patients with upper and lower fixed orthodontic appliances, undergoing treatment at Liverpool University Dental Hospital. The participants were divided randomly into two groups. The intervention group was provided with the QScan device to use as an at home oral hygiene adjunct. The control group were asked to continue with thier oral hygiene care at home without the use of QScan. Both groups were assessed over a total period of three orthodontic appointments. At each visit Quantitative Light Fluorescence Induced - Digital (QLFD) photographs were taken of the dentition (frontal, buccal, palatal and lingual), in an aim to quantify the amount of plaque and demineralisation.
Results: At the end of the study 56 participants completed the trial. Data analysis showed that there was a total reduction in plaque accumulation in the QScan group, which was statistically significant when compared to the control group (p<0.001). The photographs were also assessed independently for plaque accumulation and they all showed a significant reduction in plaque in the QScan group, with exception to the palatal which revealed an insignificant reduction across the three visits (p>0.05). Though there was an evident reduction in plaque accumulation, this did not reflect on the levels of demineralisation. Data analysis showed that the changes in demineralisation between the QScan and control group were insignificant (p>0.05).
Conclusions: The Qscan device has shown to be an effective adjunct for plaque control in orthodontic patients following a longitudinal assessment. The reduction of plaque however did not translate to a significant reduction in demineralisation following an average 15 week assessment.