Experience, oral hygiene practices, and perception of the patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment: A cross-sectional study

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Original Article

Author Details : Harsimran S Kapoor*, Ajit K Jaiswal, Jasmeet K Ryait, Jagriti Setia

Volume : 7, Issue : 2, Year : 2023

Article Page : 101-106

https://doi.org/10.18231/j.jco.2023.018

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Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study is to highlight the common difficulties faced and experiences of the patients while undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment, along with their oral hygiene practices and perception of the treatment.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted to survey the patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment using an online questionnaire via Google forms, with four sections. An informed consent was taken from the patients. The questionnaire was divided into 4 sections.
Section 1: Demographic details and Informed consent
Section 2: Difficulties and Experience of the patient during Orthodontic treatment
Section 3: Oral Hygiene Practices during Orthodontic treatment
Section 4: Patient’s perception of the treatment
Results: The most common difficulty found to be faced by the patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment is pain due to activation of wire after an orthodontic appointment (63.5%), followed by ulcers on cheeks/lips (44.3%) and swollen gums (30.5%). It was also found that majority of participants (79.8%) used an orthodontic toothbrush and 66% of them brushed twice daily to maintain their oral hygiene. As per patient’s perception, 61.6% of participants were bothered by longer duration of the treatment.
Conclusion: The study concluded that patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment face a number of difficulties. Although pain due to wire activation was the most often reported issue, quite few participants sought any medication for pain alleviation, suggesting that the pain was not particularly intense. The majority of participants used an orthodontic brush, while only a few used floss to maintain oral hygiene. Around half of the total participants were conscious of their appearance due to visible braces.

Keywords: Fixed orthodontic treatment, Experience, Pain, Oral hygiene practices, Perception, Difficulties, Braces

How to cite : Kapoor H S, Jaiswal A K, Ryait J K, Setia J, Experience, oral hygiene practices, and perception of the patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment: A cross-sectional study. J Contemp Orthod 2023;7(2):101-106

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