Nickel and chromium levels in the saliva of patients with fixed orthodontic appliances.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the salivary concentration of nickel and chromium of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Methods: In this study 32 patients who presented to the orthodontic clinic were selected. The salivary samples were taken from the patients in four stages: before appliance placement and 20 days, 3 months, and 6 months following appliance placement. The salivary samples were collected in a plastic tube and were stored in the freezer before analysis. The samples were then transferred to the laboratory, and the amounts of metals were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with an autosampler. Each sample was analyzed three times, and the average was reported.

Results: It was found that the average amount of nickel in the saliva 20 days after appliance placement was 0.8 μg/L more than before placement. Also, the amount of salivary nickel 20 days after the appliance placement was more than at the other stages, but the differences were not significant. The average amount of chromium in the saliva was found to be between 2.6 and 3.6 μg/L. The amount of chromium at all stages after appliance placement was more than before, but the differences between the chromium levels of saliva at all stages were not significant.

Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the average amount of salivary nickel and chromium of patients at various stages of orthodontic appliance placement.