IMPACT OF FIXED ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES ON ENAMEL MINERALIZATION AND SALIVARY MINERAL BALANCE

Orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances remains one of the most widely used approaches for correcting malocclusion, but it is consistently associated with clinically significant changes in enamel integrity. White spot lesions (WSLs), representing the earliest clinical manifestation of enamel demineralization, are frequently observed during multibracket therapy and may negatively affect both esthetic outcomes and long-term caries risk [1,2]. Recent systematic reviews indicate that the prevalence of WSLs during orthodontic treatment remains high worldwide, confirming the persistent clinical relevance of this complication [1].