Orthodontic treatment motivation and cooperation: A cross-sectional analysis of adolescent patients' and parents' responses.

INTRODUCTION: Motivation for orthodontic treatment among adolescents has been linked with patients' response during treatment. Parents have also been seen to be influencing factors in patient motivation. This study investigates the motivation for orthodontic treatment among patients and their parents/guardians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were obtained from 100 orthodontic children (41 boys, 59 girls), with a mean age of 11.9 years, in the age range of 7-17 years, and with parents/guardians from three public hospitals. Recruitment focused on patients and their parents at their initial screening appointment and those scheduled for regular orthodontic treatment. Data were collected by the use of survey forms for both patients and parents. Data were analyzed using Epi info™ version 3.5.1. RESULTS: Children were more motivated to have orthodontic treatment than their parents before treatment, however parents showed greater motivation for their children to have orthodontic treatment than did the children during treatment. Children on treatment were less motivated than those who have not started treatment. Using braces was more important to children than their parents. Parents of children on treatment were more motivated for their children to have orthodontic treatment than parents of children who were not yet on treatment. Children undergoing orthodontic treatment were not willing to have extractions as part of their treatment, while parents did not have much objections (P = 0.001). Parents were willing to comply with dietary instructions imposed on their children. (P = 0.45). Pretreatment, children were more willing to brush after meals than the ones undergoing treatment (0.010). CONCLUSION: Parents of children on treatment were more motivated for their children to have orthodontic treatment than parents of children who were not yet on treatment. Children on treatment were less motivated during treatment.

Dental esthetics and oral health-related quality of life in young adults.

INTRODUCTION: Dental esthetics affects how people are perceived by society and how they perceive themselves, and this may also affect their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). The aim of this study was to compare the impacts of self-perceived and normatively assessed dental esthetics on the OHRQoL of a young adult population. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 375 undergraduate university students, aged 18 to 30 years old. Data collection was carried out through oral examinations and self-administered questionnaires. Dental esthetics of the students was assessed using the esthetic component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Two OHRQoL instruments were used: the shortened version of the Oral Health Impact Profile and the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire. RESULTS: Statistically significant relationships (P <0.05) were recorded between both self-perceived and normatively assessed dental esthetics of the students, respectively, and 3 of the 4 Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire subscales: dental self-confidence (Kruskall-Wallis, P = 0.000; P = 0.000), psychological impact (P = 0.003, P = 0.047), and esthetic concern (P = 0.006, P = 0.003). The only exception was the social impact subscale, in which a significant relationship was recorded only with self-perceived dental esthetics (P = 0.040). For the shortened version of the Oral Health Impact Profile scale, marked differences were also observed between the impacts recorded for both self-assessments and normative assessments, respectively, particularly for the psychological disability domain (Fisher exact test, P = 0.021, P = 0.000; P = 0.064, P = 0.096). CONCLUSIONS: Differences exist between the impacts of self-perceived and normatively assessed dental esthetics on the OHRQoL of young adults, particularly in the psychosocial domains. These differences should be considered in orthodontic treatment planning for young adult populations.

Dental aesthetics assessed against orthodontic treatment complexity and need in Nigerian patients with sickle-cell anemia.

This study investigates the relationship between dental aesthetics and orthodontic treatment complexity and need in a group of patients with sickle-cell anemia (SCA) in Nigeria. The study sample consisted of 176 individuals - 77 (43.8%) male and 99 (56.3%) female subjects with SCA (aged 10 to 35 years) who were coming for routine medical care to two outpatient clinics. Dental aesthetics were assessed using the Standardized Continuum of Aesthetic Need component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Treatment complexity and need were assessed according to the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need and Dental Aesthetic Index. Both parametric and nonparametric statistics were employed in the data analysis. Significant positive relationships were found between dental aesthetics and orthodontic treatment complexity as well as treatment need according to both indices (p= .000). The correlations of the scores for dental aesthetics and the objectively derived treatment complexity and need were significant (p= .01). About 50% of the subjects had poor dental aesthetics and this correlated with their high orthodontic treatment complexity and need.