PREVALENCE OF USING DENTAL WATER FLOSSER DURING ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT IN SAUDI ARABIAN POPULATION(JEDDAH REGION)

Introduction: Orthodontic treatment has many clear benefits for reinforcement the function, esthetics, and self-respect in patients. However, as any treatment, there are risks and complications in associated with such treatment, as it can cause gingivitis, enamel demineralization and tooth decay. Supreme self-care as tooth brushing and interdental cleaning using the adjuncts besides regular professional cleaning must be strengthened. Comparing the use of conventional manual toothbrush to the Dental Water Flosser with Orthodontic Tip on bleeding and plaque biofilm reductions with fixed orthodontic was done. The results showed that dental water flosser with a jet tip was effective in fixed orthodontic and it revealed favorable results for decreasing plaque and bleeding. Aim: to identify the awareness of patients about the use of dental water flosser and its effect on the oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment. Materials and methods:-A cross-sectional study using convenient sampling technique was done. Sample size was calculated according to Cochrans formula (n=341). A questionnaire was prepared and translated to Arabic for ease in understanding. The content and linguistic validity of the questionnaire was checked by expert team of peers. The questionnaire was entered in google forms and mailed to the participants. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested by Cronbachs Alpha test. -The questionnaire was formed of 20 questions divided into three categories: Demographic information, Awareness of orthodontic treatment and its complications & Awareness of proper oral hygiene procedure during orthodontic treatment. The responses were tabulated in Microsoft Excel and statistically analyzed for comparison using IBM SPSS. Descriptive statistics followed by chi-square test was applied to test the variables in the questionnaire to determine their association. The significant value will be equal or less than 0.05. Results: Out of all participants, 240 (70.38%) reported hearing about the dental water flosser. 114 out of those 240 participants (47.5%) reported using it. Out of all participants who used the dental water flosser, 99 (86.84%) described their experience as Amazing and very effective, 5 (4.39%) described it as Not effective . 97 (85.09%) of all participants agreed that dental water flosser help in cleaning between their teeth and improve the health of their gums during wearing the orthodontic appliance. Conclusion: The results showed that a dental water flosser with a jet tip is beneficial for adolescents in cleaning between the teeth and significant improvement of the oral cavity health is obtained, which may be due to plaque accumulation reduction during using the orthodontic appliance.