RESUMO
To compare the patient acceptance between fixed orthodontic appliances and clear aligners. An electronic search was completed in PubMed, Cochrane Database, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs, Google Scholar, and Open Grey databases without any restrictions until August 23. All comparative study types contrasting patient perception between clear aligners and fixed appliances were included. After removal of duplicates, exclusion by title and abstract, and reading the full text, only eight articles were included. The studies used an observational questionnaire study design. Of the observational studies, one was retrospective and three prospective, one online survey, and the other three cross sectional. Though the response varied in terms of patient preference and acceptance, it was found that clear aligners have a positive impact with respect to quality of life, tolerance, and improved confidence. However, there is not enough evidence to make a final conclusion about treatment outcomes.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Malocclusion has been a problem since ancient times. Diverse factors influence malocclusion such as oral habits, anomalies in the dentition like changes in shape, position and number of teeth. But awareness and attitude about the problem differs within the neighborhood, depending upon their understanding and education. Hence, observation is essential to diminish and avoid the deleterious effects of malocclusion. Hence the objective of this study is to perceive the knowledge of youngsters and enlighten their perception on misaligned teeth. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A cross sectional study was conducted among 1000 young adults between ages 18-22 in Sathyabama University, Chennai, India. A questionnaire consisting of 24 multiple choice questions were given to the participants to assess their awareness, attitude towards malocclusion and orthodontic treatment. Descriptive statistics and chi square test was done using SPSS software version 20. The level of significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: More than 70% of the participants show concern and interest on self-image, 39.9% of the total study population were unhappy with the arrangement of their teeth. There was an overall lack of knowledge about the etiology and the effects of malocclusion among the participants. 60.2% of the population have not visited a dentist in the past 3 years. Many had false impressions towards orthodontic treatment. CONCLUSION: Awareness about the effects of malocclusion among young adults seems to be lacking. Most of the time, the treatment is neglected until the need for it arises.
