Measurement of iron, magnesium and chromium concentrations in the saliva of the patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment

Introduction: Stainless steel alloy used in orthodontics has elements such as iron - magnesium and chromium, which may be released due to corrosion in the mouth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes of these elements in the saliva of patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. Methods: In a clinical study with simple non-random sampling, 1ml saliva of 11 patients (7 females and 4 males) who needed fixed orthodontic treatment and had no restorations or crowns were collected. During the fixed orthodontic treatment at successive times (a day, a week, a month, two months and six months), 1 ml of saliva was collected and evaluated for the amount of iron (spectrophotometry), chromium (atomic absorption), and magnesium (spectrophotometry). Bracket, band and wire used in all patients were stainless steel alloy and were manufactured by Dentaurum Company. After sample collection, the data analysis was performed with "Azeri-5" and "10 SPSS" software and repeated measures test. Results: The mean concentration of iron 66.326±0.541, chromium 0.483±0.324 and magnesium 0.552±293 decreased during the study but these results were not statisticaly significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Iron, chromium and magnesium concentration do not exceed the standard limits in saliva during orthodontic treatment.