The prevalence of traumatic ulcers among fixed orthodontic appliance wearers among dental students at Hasanuddin University

Prevalensi ulkus traumatik pada pengguna ortodontik cekat pada mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Gigi Universitas Hasanuddin

Abstract

The use of fixed orthodontic appliances can cause trauma to the soft tissues of the oral cavity due to friction from components such as brackets and archwires. Traumatic ulcers are one of the most common lesions and can cause pain and functional impairment. This article presents the prevalence of traumatic ulcers among students using fixed orthodontic appliances at the Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University. A descriptive observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted using a sample of 64 respondents selected via purposive sampling. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire regarding the history of traumatic ulcers and an intraoral examination to determine the actual prevalence. The prevalence of traumatic ulcers was 46.88%. The most common location was the buccal mucosa (66.7%), and the most common cause was brackets (53.3%). It is concluded that the prevalence of traumatic ul-cers among users of fixed orthodontic appliances remains relatively high, thus necessitating preventive education and regular monitoring.