Perception of pain due to various orthodontic procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate five orthodontic procedures, namely separator placement, banding, initial arch wire ligation (0.016 NiTi), T-loop activation, and use of intermaxillary elastics with respect to intensity of peak pain, time of peak pain, need of medication for pain relief, and effect on routine life due to pain. METHOD AND MATERIALS: One hundred patients (52 males, 48 females) selected for comprehensive orthodontic therapy were included in the study. They were divided into five study groups, namely the separator group, banding group, initial NiTi group, T-loop activation group, and intermaxillary elastics group. Each patient was given a previously prepared questionnaire regarding the following: time of peak pain, intensity of peak pain, need for analgesic consumption, and effect on routine life. RESULTS: Consumption of medication for pain relief was found to be highest in the separator and the initial NiTi groups. Routine life was affected most in the intermaxillary elastics and the initial NiTi groups, but it was not statistically significant. Statistically significant differences were found between the T-loop activation and the banding groups and also between the banding and the intermaxillary elastic groups with respect to perception of intensity of peak pain. In the separator group, the time of peak pain was experienced at the 24th hour and in the rest of the groups it was at the 6th hour with most patients, although the values were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Peak pain intensity varies from one procedure to another. It was significantly more due to T-loop activation and wear of intermaxillary elastics than banding.

Trait procrastination among dental students in India and its influence on academic performance.

Trait procrastination is believed to be highly prevalent among college students and detrimental to their educational performance. As the scenario among dental students is virtually unknown, this study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of trait procrastination among dental students and to analyze its influence on their academic performance. A total of 174 fourth-year dental students from three dental colleges in India voluntarily completed the Lay's Procrastination Scale-student version (LPS). The mean percentage marks scored in the subsequent final university examinations were used as a measure of academic performance. The descriptive statistics were computed to evaluate the prevalence of significant procrastination (LPS score ≥60). Mann-Whitney U test and multiple linear regressions were used to assess the influence of age and gender on procrastination severity, and the latter was again used to analyze the association between procrastination severity and academic performance. The results indicated that 27 percent (n=47) of the students exhibited a significant extent of trait procrastination; neither age nor gender affected its severity (p<0.05). Procrastination had a significant and negative impact on the academic performance of the student (beta=-0.150, p=0.039). These findings highlight the need for active measures to reduce the causes and consequences of procrastination in dental education.