The clinical features of angular cheilitis occurring during orthodontic treatment: a multi-centre observational study.

Objective: To report the prevalence and clinical features of angular cheilitis occurring in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Design: Cross-sectional, observational study.
Setting: Three centres were involved; Glasgow Dental Hospital and two specialist orthodontic practices, one in Scotland and one in Greece.
Subjects and Methods: Six hundred and sixty consecutive patients undergoing orthodontic treatment were examined over a 9 month period.
Main Outcome Measures: The presence and absence of angular cheilitis was recorded. A six-point clinical scale was used to describe the clinical features of angular cheilitis when present. Chi-squared tests were used to investigate the association between the presence of angular cheilitis and oral hygiene level/appliance type.
Results: Eleven per cent of orthodontic patients in this Western European population, showed signs of angular cheilitis. No correlation was found between the presence of angular cheilitis and gender. Good oral hygiene was associated with a reduced prevalence (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Angular cheilitis is a multifactorial condition that can occur in a small percentage of patients during orthodontic treatment. Good oral hygiene may be associated with a reduced risk. A new clinical grade of angular cheilitis is suggested that may help future research. Further studies are required to investigate the microbiological features associated with angular cheilitis occurring in orthodontic patients, as well as associations with medical conditions, such as asthma.