A questionnaire-based survey exploring attitudes to human factors within the orthodontic team.

Introduction Orthodontic service provision relies on good organisational systems for high standards of patient care and safety. Human factors (HFs) are non-technical skills associated with communication, leadership and teamwork, important for safe patient care. This investigation explored attitudes and understanding of HFs within orthodontic clinical training in the United Kingdom.Materials and methods A questionnaire-based qualitative and quantitative analysis including members of the orthodontic clinical team was undertaken at two teaching centres. A modified Operating Rooms Managements Attitudes questionnaire was used with a 5-point Likert scale. Participants indicated agreement or disagreement with statements around nine themes: leadership structure; confidence assertion; information sharing; stress; fatigue; teamwork; work values; error-procedural compliance; and organisational climate. Internal consistency among themes was assessed with Cronbach's alpha and differences in responses with chi-squared tests at 5%.Results In total, 80 responses were received from 96 invitees. Positive attitudes towards teamwork, error-procedural compliance, and organisational climate were found. Orthodontic consultants, trainees, and nurses recognised that human error is not a sign of incompetence. Stress and fatigue were less acknowledged by consultants and trainee groups. Trainees, nurses and therapists valued information sharing over the consultant group. Orthodontic trainees and nurse responses suggested further training might be required in leadership structure, confidence assertion, and work values.Conclusions Differences in attitudes and understanding of HFs within different professional groups in the orthodontic team exist.

Presence of adult Loa loa in the anterior chamber of the eye along with microfilaremia from nonendemic region: A rare presentation from India.

We report an unusual case of adult Loa loa infection in the anterior chamber of the eye of a 65-year-old female from rural area of Jharkhand, India, with no history of travel to endemic places but the presence of microfilaria of Loa loa in blood. Loiasis is endemic to African countries, with few sporadic cases affecting the Indian population. However, in none of the reports, microfilaremia was detected. This atypical feature in this case adds to the epidemiological variations in parasitic presentations in nonendemic regions.

Quality of life and communication in orthognathic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to determine what, if any, relationships exist between communication and quality of life in patients receiving orthognathic treatment since this has not been explored. A secondary aim was to compare the Quality of Life (QoL) of a pre-treatment sample with those at 2 years post-surgery. DESIGN: A cross-sectional questionnaire method was used. SETTING: Outpatient clinics providing orthognathic treatment at four UK hospital sites. PARTICIPANTS: Two separate samples of pre-treatment (n = 73) and 2-year post-surgery (n = 78) patients participated in the study. METHODS: At clinic appointments, all eligible patients were invited to complete the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ), a previously validated condition-specific quality of life measure. At the same time, participants at the 2-year post-surgery stage also completed a second short questionnaire, the Communication Assessment Tool-Team (CAT-T), where they rated the quality of communication they had received during treatment. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-one complete responses were received. The average age was 24.5 years (S.D. 9.77) and the majority (67%) were female in both groups. Statistically significant associations were found between QoL and quality of communication in the treated sample. Findings also showed a comparatively poorer QoL for the pre-treatment participants. This reduced QoL was more pronounced in females than males for all aspects except dentofacial appearance. CONCLUSIONS: There was an improvement in QoL for patients at 2 years post-surgery compared to pre-treatment. There is an association between QoL and quality of communication as reported by participants at 2 years post-surgery. These novel findings are similar to outcomes in other patient settings such as oncology, but further investigation is required to establish the direction of cause and effect.

Internet discussion forums, an information and support resource for orthognathic patients.

INTRODUCTION: Orthognathic patients appear to be increasingly using the Internet to obtain information about their proposed treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the information that orthognathic patients share and discuss with peers away from the clinical environment to improve the provision of information for orthognathic patients. METHODS: Posts made by persons in a large publicly accessible online orthognathic discussion forum were analyzed; 1912 randomly selected forum posts were evaluated using a qualitative analysis technique known as "thematic analysis" that involves coding the posts and collating them into meaningful and distinct themes. RESULTS: The main themes identified were (1) reasons for undergoing orthognathic treatment, (2) presurgery and postsurgery treatment stages including orthodontics, (3) surgery including postsurgical complications and difficulties, (4) expected and actual end of treatment changes, and (5) seeking and sharing information. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that orthognathic patients look to the Internet to supplement information regarding their proposed treatment. This may suggest a possible gap in the provision of information by health care professionals. However, it is clear that patients use Internet forums to seek additional information, support, and reassurance from peers undergoing similar treatment. Therefore, there is a need for clinicians to ensure that patients have access and are guided to appropriate and relevant Internet resources.

Patient's experience of treatment for sleep apnoea with a mandibular advancement splint.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a well recognised clinical disorder in which there is narrowing and repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep resulting in the cessation of breathing. Patients with mild to moderate sleep apnoea are often provided with mandibular advancement splint (MAS) therapy as a form of first line or definitive treatment. The aims of this audit were to evaluate patient satisfaction and success of MAS therapy. METHODS: 93 patients diagnosed with sleep apnoea and suitable for a splint were recruited prospectively at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead between January 2009 and October 2010. A patient satisfaction questionnaire was developed by health professionals involved in the care of patients with sleep apnoea and assessed for face and content validity and reliability. Participants completed the questionnaire six weeks after the splint was fitted. RESULTS: 44% who previously experienced snoring now reported no snoring and 47% reported less snoring since wearing the MAS appliance. 69% reported complete resolution of sleep apnoea symptoms. 37% experienced aching teeth and 33% experienced having a dry throat when wearing the appliance. 86% of sleeping partners felt that their quality of sleep was improved following their partners treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The standards set for each criteria in this audit were met. MAS treatment has a key role to play in the management of obstructive sleep apnoea with high rates of patient satisfaction and the majority of patients partners reporting a significant improvement in their own and their partners sleep quality.

Picture archiving and communications systems: a study of reliability of orthodontic cephalometric analysis.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the possibility of using a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) for basic chairside cephalometric analysis and to compare PACS with hand-tracing and on-screen digitization using a commercial program (Dolphin Imaging Plus Version 10.0). One hundred digital lateral cephalometric radiographs were selected and analysed using the Eastman analysis. Angular and linear measurements were recorded and a single operator traced each radiograph twice, using each of the following methods: PACS, hand-tracing, and Dolphin Imaging. The British Standards Institution Coefficient of Repeatability was used to investigate repeatability within each method and the Bland and Altman method to investigate systematic and random errors between methods. The PACS was more repeatable than Dolphin for measuring the angle between the upper incisors and the maxillary plane but was less repeatable than hand-tracing for measuring percentage lower anterior face height (LAFH). There were statistically significant systematic differences between PACS, hand-tracing, and Dolphin for measurement of lower incisor inclination. However, all three methods agreed, on average, and differences between methods were all within clinically acceptable limits. PACS was found to be clinically acceptable to be used chairside, without the need for hand-tracing or involvement of any orthodontic software. This offers the freedom to analyse digital cephalograms within a clinical area at the same appointment as when the digital radiograph is taken.

The clinical features and aetiological basis of primary eruption failure.

Primary failure of eruption (PFE) is a poorly understood condition associated with tooth eruption failure. This investigation systematically reviews the literature, evaluates clinical features and associations with PFE, and describes five further cases. Publications were selected and identified as describing PFE when there was no identifiable aetiological factor contributing to eruption failure and no evidence of successful orthodontic extrusion of the affected tooth or teeth. A data abstraction form recorded the following additional information; subject age, gender, general health status, and teeth present. Eighteen publications were sourced that detailed at least one case of PFE in a manner conforming to the selection criteria; these papers included a total of 35 individual cases, to which five previously unreported subjects were added. Within the whole sample of 40 cases, a total of 24 (60 per cent) were females and 16 (40 per cent) males. First and second molar teeth were most commonly affected; incisors, canines, and premolars were also involved, but with a reduced individual frequency. There was no significant difference in incidence between the maxilla and mandible, or between left and right sides. A family history of eruption failure was found in almost 50 per cent of the sample, with eruption failure or ankylosis affecting at least one primary tooth, also a common finding. Within the 40 cases, hypodontia was present at levels higher than population norms. PFE appears to be a condition that predominantly affects the molar dentition. The increased frequency of hypodontia in affected individuals and common findings of a family history regarding tooth eruption problems suggests a significant genetic component to the aetiology of this rare condition.