Effects of orthodontic wax and ora-aid on pain and discomfort at the beginning of orthodontic treatment.

Objectives: Wounds may occur in the mouth during orthodontic treatment. Orthodontists use a variety of substances to eliminate the irritation. This randomized clinical trial aimed to examine the effect of orthodontic wax and ora-aid material on wound healing, the duration of staying in the mouth, and the effect on pain and to evaluate the effect on the patient's quality of life.

Materials and methods: The study included two hundred forty patients aged 11-14 years. At the end of 1 week, patients with no wound were determined as the control group G1(n:65), patients using Ormco orthodontic wax as G2(n:86), and patients using Ora-aid as G3(n:89). The patients were asked to fill out the questionnaire given to them five times in total, as T0 when the wound occurred, T1 after 24 h, T2 after 48 h, T3 after 96 h, and T4 after 168 h.

Results: The study's results demonstrated no significant differences in the level of pain between males and females. For all post-baseline time points, the Ora aid group had a lower VAS for pain when compared with the Ormco orthodontic wax group (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that ora-aid effectively reduces the mucosal discomfort associated with orthodontic appliances, and this product may be a suitable alternative to traditional orthodontic wax material for dealing with oral mucosal injuries during orthodontic treatment.

Clinical relevance: This product may be a suitable alternative to traditional orthodontic wax material for dealing with oral mucosal injuries during orthodontic treatment.