Alteration of Taste Among Orthodontic Patients Following Clear Aligners Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study

In Saudi Arabia, one of the common oral health problems is the malocclusion. Crowding was the commonest type of malocclusion followed by increased spacing and overjet (Al-Hummayan, 2018). Malocclusion prevalence varies among different populations globally based on multiple factors including the time of the study, the geographical location. In addition , the selection criteria used for the sample selection, such as age and gender, are all factors that contribute to the malocclusion . Profitt, 2005 reported that 57-59% of Americans had at least some orthodontic treatment needed (Profitt WR, 1998). In the UK, the percentage was 59% (Foster TD, 1974), and in Jordan, it was 92% (Abu Alhaija ES, 2005 ) . There was a report that 40%-62% of Saudi Arabia needed orthodontic treatment (Baseer MA, 2021).

Clear aligner is an alternative to traditional braces that helps to guide the teeth into their proper positions. Unlike braces, clear aligners control tooth movement without metal weirs or brackets. All aligners made of strong plastic materials and made to fit each individual's mouth. the alignment of the teeth can be accomplished using a series of aligners in which each aligner moves the teeth incrementally until the desired result is achieved (Tigani, n.d.).

Orthodontics treatment aims to improve patient quality of life by improving both function and appearance of teeth. So, treatment complications during the treatment plan must be addressed. One of the most important things is proper taste perception. impaired perception of taste stimuli may occur as a result of a foreign body such as placement of the orthodontic material in the oral cavity (Izabella Dunin-Wilczyńska1, 2011).

Through the literature review, many studies were performed on alteration in taste sensation with using removable appliances, and all results were statistically not significant (Hegde AM, 2007) (Sarawan Siripanthana D.D.S., 2015) (Razdan P, 2017). A study analysed the change in taste perception in children using removable orthodontic appliances by using different taste stimuli and asking the children to score as per their perception. There was no statistically significant difference between the study and control groups (Razdan P, 2017). Moreover, a further investigation was conducted on patients who received upper removable orthodontic devices with posterior bite planes, and they used the Modified Harris-Kalmus test to measure the four tastes. salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. this study showed no effect on the taste recognition threshold of the four taste qualities, according to the results of this study (Sarawan Siripanthana D.D.S., 2015). However, alterations of taste perception in orthodontic patients are not studied sufficiently.

Taste is considered a multisensory experience (Shaikh & Soni., 2022), which contains five senses of taste salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami, the last being the Japanese term for a savoury sensation (J., 2004). Gustation loss may arise due to a diverse spectrum of systemic or acute clinical conditions or medications. Moreover, a published article done by otolaryngologists used taste strips, and the results of the study indicate the usefulness of the taste strips in a clinical context (Mueller C, 2003). So based on this article will use the strips which are made from filter paper and impregnated with different taste solutions. taste disturbance can also reduce the pleasure of life and cause a significant reduction in patients' quality of life. It is important, therefore, the main aim of this study to evaluate taste perception following the orthodontics treatment.