RESUMEN
The objective of this study was to explore the impact of motivation to seek orthodontic treatment on perception of pain during treatment. It was a cross-sectional study involving 75 patients attending the orthodontic clinic from September to October, 2010. Patients of Pakistani origin, aged 16 years and older and patients receiving fixed orthodontic treatment were included. The data collection instrument was a perception questionnaire consisting of 8 questions covering 2 domains; pain experiences and motivation to seek orthodontic treatment. Pain during different orthodontic procedures was scored using a qualitative pain intensity scale. Motivation to seek orthodontic treatment was assessed by questions concerning how important the patients thought it was to have straight teeth and their willingness to bear pain in order to have an attractive smile. A pain and motivation score was calculated by summing the above assessments. No statistically significant results were observed for gender dimorphism for pain and motivation. A very weak negative correlation was found between pain and motivation. No gender dimorphism for pain and motivation exists Higher motivation to seek orthodontic treatment does not affect perception of pain
RESUMEN
To compare microaesthetics in pre- and post-orthodontic cases, treated with non-extraction and extraction treatment and assessed whether the achieved microaesthetic parameters are comparable to the proposed norms. Quasi-experimental study. Orthodontic Clinic, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 2005 to December 2009. Orthodontic records of 31 cases treated with non-extraction therapy and 26 cases treated with extraction of upper first premolars were selected. Patients were of Pakistani origin, aged between 12 to 30 years. Microaesthetics was assessed by measuring maxillary central incisor crown width-height ratio, connectors between the maxillary anterior sextant, gingival zenith level of the maxillary lateral incisor and golden percentage of the anterior teeth using the patients' plaster models and intraoral frontal photographs. Measurements of the golden percentage were made using the software Adobe Photoshop, whereas all other parameters were measured on the plaster casts using a digital vernier caliper. Paired t-test, independent t-test and one sample t-test were used to make comparisons within the groups, between the groups, and to compare the posttreatment values with the proposed norms, respectively. Statistical significance level was set at p