Background: Nickel is a strong sensitizer and one of the most common causes of contact allergies. Patients and parents therefore may express concern about possible leakage of metal ions from an orthodontic appliance. Aim of the study: To assess salivary nickel levels in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Orthodontics of the dental institution. For the study, we selected 50 patients from the department of orthodontics who were scheduled for orthodontic treatment. The patients who had any systemic disease such as diabetes mellitus, and who consumed alcohol and had habit of chewing or smoking tobacco were excluded from the study. The age of the patients ranged from 14-28 years. The sample collection of saliva was done before the initiation of the treatment, after 6 months and 12 months post treatment. Results: A total of 50 patients were included in the study ranging from 14-28 years of age. The number of female patients was 26. The mean age of the patients was 18.25 years. We observed that mean nickel ions level before initiation of treatment was at 9.2 µg/L, after 6 months of treatment at 10.9 µg/L, and after 12 months at 8.6 µg/L. The level of nickel was comparable before the initiation of treatment and after 12 months. Conclusion:  From the results of present study, this can be concluded that there is no significant difference in the level of nickel in saliva of patients before the treatment and after 6 months and 12 months of treatment.
Keywords: Nickel, orthodontic wires, saliva.

Corresponding Author: Dr. Nameeta Kaur, Associate Professor , Deptt of Orthodontics , DJ College of Dental Sciences , Modinagar, U.P., India

This article may be cited as: Kaur N, Kumar S. Assessment of Salivary Nickel Levels in Patients Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment. Int J Res Health Allied Sci 2016;2(2):43-45.