Orthodontic appliances in the oral cavity may cause problems such as white spot lesions, dental plaque, periodontal disease and root resorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between orthodontic treatment and oral health parameters including visible dental plaque, gingival recession and white spot lesions (WSLs). A total of 170 patients (86 females, 84 males) were randomly selected to determine visible dental plaque, gingival recession and white spot lesions by using pre-treatment and post-treatment oral photographs. Except of previously extracted teeth, maxillary and mandibular incisors, canine, 1st and 2nd premolars and 1st molar were evaluated. There was a significant difference between the T0 (before treatment) and T1 (after treatment) groups in visible plaque (P< 0.001). The distribution of gingival recession frequencies according to Miller classification before treatment did not differ from the after treatment (P=.082). A statistically significant increase in the severity of WSL was detected between the two time points (P< 0.001). Males have been shown to have higher WSL incidence after treatment. In conclusion, the present study showed that visible dental plaque and white spot lesions significant increase after orthodontic treatment. Considering the relationship between oral health and orthodontic treatment, clinicians and patients should know the risks and take precautions.

Objectives: Studies report that gene polymorphisms associated with mineralization may change the structure of enamel and create a predisposition for developing dental caries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the VDR and TFIP11 gene variants in adults with caries experience and to investigate their interactions with the environmental factors. Materials and Methods: A total of 160 individuals at the age of 24-40 years were included in the study and they were assigned to two groups according to decayed-missing-filled teeth index (DMFT); namely the low caries experience (LCE, DMFT≤4) and high caries experience (HCE, DMFT> 9.13). DNA was isolated from buccal swab samples to genotype the VDR (TaqI; rs731236) and TFIP11 (rs5997096) gene variants. The real-time PCR was used for genotyping. The frequency of tooth brushing, carbohydrate intake, smoking, and the dental plaques were evaluated as environmental risk factors. Results: Between the caries groups and the distribution of the genotypes and alleles of the VDR rs731236 and TFIP11 rs5997096 gene variants were not statistically different. There was also no significant difference when homozygous, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive models were evaluated for the two variants. The frequency of tooth brushing was significantly higher in the LCE group. According to the regression analysis; the amount of plaque explained the high caries experience at a rate of 51.4%. Conclusions: The study findings indicated that common variants in the VDR and TFIP11 genes were not associated with high caries experiences in Turkish adults.

Multifaktöriyel bir hastalık olan diş çürüğünün etiyolojisi yıllardır araştırılmaktadır. Aynı çevresel risk faktörlerine maruz kalan bireylerin çürük riskinin aynı olmadığı belirlenmiş ve bu sonuç çürüğün etiyolojisinde genetik faktörlerin de rol oynadığını akla getirmiştir. Diş çürükleri toplumun tamamında görüldüğü için geçmişte, genetik faktörlerin diş çürüğünün etiyolojisi üzerindeki etkisi önemsenmemiştir. Son on yılda bireylerin çürük riskine etki eden genetik faktörler ile ilişkili çalışmalarda artış gözlenmiştir. Diş çürüğü üzerine yapılan genetik araştırmalar 1930’lu yıllarda deneysel hayvan çalışmaları ve gözlemsel araştırmalar olarak başlamıştır. İnsanlar üzerindeki gen polimorfizmini inceleyen çalışmalar ancak son yıllarda karşımıza çıkmaktadır. İncelenen genler çürük riskiyle ilişkisine göre spesifik kategorilerde gruplandırılmaktadır. Günümüzde incelenen başlıca gen kategorileri mineralizasyon, ağız içi savunma elemanları, tükürük proteinleri, tat alma ve beslenme tercihleri ile ilgili genetik çalışmaları içermektedir. Çürüğün karmaşık karakterli bir hastalık olması, birçok biyolojik ve çevresel faktörlerden etkilenmesi ve çürük ile ilişkili genetik araştırmaların yetersiz olması nedeniyle daha fazla sayıda genetik temelli çalışmalara ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Bu derlemenin amacı, diş çürüğü ile ilişkili mevcut genetik çalışmalar ve gen polimorfizmleri hakkında kısa bir bilgilendirme sağlamaktır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Diş çürüğü, genetik polimorfizm, genetik araştırmalar CARIES RISK AND GENETIC ABSTRACT Dental caries is a multifactorial disease and the etiology of caries has been studied for many years. However when exposed to the same levels of environmental risk factors, some patients may be more susceptible or resistant to caries than others. Those differences may be due to genetic factors in the etiopathogenesis of dental caries. In the past, the importance of genetic factors was disregarded mainly because the dental caries was present in almost the entire population. The last decade has seen a steep increase in research related to genetic factors influencing individuals’ caries risk. Genetic research applied to dental caries began in the 1930s with experimental reports in animals and human observational research. Only recently, have some studies begun to search for gene polymorphisms in humans. These genes can be grouped in specific categories, based on the factor influencing dental caries. The major candidate gene categories to date include; enamel formation genes, immune response genes, genes related to saliva and genes related to taste and dietary habits. Due to the complex characteristics of the disease, the strong influence from several biological and environmental factors, and the small number of genetic studies related to dental caries, the genetic basis still requires further study. The aim of this review is to provide a brief description of the current genetic studies and gene polymorphisms related to dental caries. Key words: Dental caries, genetic polymorphism, genetic research

Background: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of digital intraoral photographs obtained using smartphones and a macro camera in evaluating oral health among adults. Methods: A total of 200 adult patients underwent clinical and radiographic examinations using the Decayed, Filled Teeth (DFT) Index, Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST) Index, Plaque Index (PI), and Modified Gingival Index (MGI). Intraoral photographs were taken using three devices: Samsung S23 Ultra, iPhone 14 Pro, and Canon EOS 400D with macro lens. Following the clinical recording of DFT, CAST, PI, and MGI scores by two calibrated examiners as the reference standard, intraoral photographs were captured by a third dentist and independently evaluated by two separate blinded examiners to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the devices against the clinical findings. Non-parametric analyses were conducted using the Friedman test with Dunn’s post hoc test, Wilcoxon test and agreement between clinical and photographic methods was evaluated via the Bland–Altman method ( p < 0.05). Results: The macro camera demonstrated the highest inter-rater reliability for FT scores (ICC = 0.886), while iPhone-derived MGI scores showed the lowest reliability (ICC = 0.624). Statistically significant differences were found among all imaging devices for all indices ( p < 0.001), except for MGI. Bland–Altman analysis showed that most values fell within the 95% limits of agreement, indicating good concordance with clinical data. Conclusions: Smartphone and macro camera photographs provided comparable diagnostic results for caries and restorations. However, limitations remain in the assessment of periodontal parameters via photographic methods. Smartphone-based intraoral photography can serve as a practical diagnostic tool in teledentistry.