American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
Original articleChanges in oral health-related quality of life during fixed orthodontic appliance therapy: An 18-month prospective longitudinal study
Section snippets
Material and methods
This was a prospective longitudinal study involving a cohort of adults undergoing FOAT at Hong Kong University’s orthodontic teaching center. A consecutive sample of 347 adults seeking orthodontic treatment at the center was screened for suitability to undergo FOAT. Inclusion criteria were adults (aged 16 and older) rated as having a need for comprehensive fixed orthodontic treatment by the consulting orthodontists. Exclusion criteria were patients with untreated dental caries (cavitated
Results
Of the 347 adults screened, 232 met with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of the 232 subjects who were enrolled in the study, 201 (86.6%) completed the OHRQoL assessments at the 4 times during the study. The median age of the participants was 20 years (interquartile range, 5 years), and 63% (146) were female. There was no significant difference in the baseline OHRQoL assessments of those who completed all assessments (included in the analyses) and those who failed to complete all assessments
Discussion
The response rate to the study was high; this indicates the feasibility of using patient-centered OHRQoL measures in the clinical setting. This can help to provide greater understanding of the effects of treatment on patients’ lives, because this is important in the overall evaluation of the benefits of orthodontic care. These findings are those of an observational treatment cohort and not a case-control study. It would be useful to compare changes in OHRQoL among a treated group and a control
Conclusions
Changes in OHRQoL occur during FOAT. In the early phase of treatment, the greatest deterioration in OHRQoL occurs. With ongoing treatment, the detrimental effects to OHRQoL are reduced, and there is a suggestion that OHRQoL might even be improved during treatment.
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The authors report no commercial, proprietary, or financial interest in the products or companies described in this article.