Assessment of Periodontium Temperature Changes under Orthodontic Force by Using Objective and Automatic Classifier

Abstract

Background: Orthodontic elastics are used in orthodontic treatment with fixed braces. The effect of class I elastics on changing gingiva temperature as a periodontal component was investigated. Methods: To evaluate the temperature changes, objective and automatic classifiers were used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the measurement. Results: Before putting on the elastics, the average gingival temperature of all 120 patients was 34.72 ± 0.7548 °C. Putting on the elastics for 10 min slightly increased the temperature to 34.81 ± 0.5938 °C; however, this is not a statistically significant change (p > 0.05). Conclusion: It is concluded that putting an elastic band on does not significantly affect the gingiva temperature change. The use of class I elastics in orthodontic treatment in patients with healthy periodontium does not significantly change the periodontal temperature, which indirectly proves the production of safe orthodontic forces that can be used in the clinic. The use of artificial intelligence in the assessment of the temperature of the gingiva makes it possible to exclude factors that may disturb the objective thermographic analysis.

Keywords

• thermal imaging
• image analysis
• periodontium
• orthodontic treatment
• orthodontic braces