Patients' perceptions reasons and expectations of seeking Orthodontic treatment

Purpose of the study: To discern participants' opinion regarding perceptions, reasons for seeking care, expectations and commonly faced problems during orthodontic treatment. Materials and Method: Structured questionnaires regarding perceptions of orthodontic treatment were distributed to 86 participants with age ranging from 10 to 25 years old. The survey form include patients' personal information and twelve questions which included patient perception towards their own malalignment condition, duration and sources of getting orthodontic treatment, Knowledge of treatment, reasons of seeking treatment, major problems encountered, and type of materials used. Results: The majority of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment are Chinese (69.8%) and females (62.8%). The most common reason for them to seek orthodontic treatment was to improve their esthetics (83.7%) with the perception that they had a decent facial appearance before the treatment (53%). Only 44% of them rated their status similar to IOTN grade 3. Most of them received treatment in private practice (48%) and visited every 3 months (72%) for duration of 1-2 years (70%). Most of them are self-influenced (70.9%) and obtained their information from friends who receive/ are receiving their treatment (79.1%). Pain was the most common complaint (61.6%), followed by difficulty in cleaning (53.5%). Majority are provided with metal braces (76.7%). Conclusion: Patients seek for orthodontic treatment to improve aesthetics. The patient should be informed of the complete treatment plan with emphasis on effective home care. It is also important to evaluate self needs as it will ultimately determine the outcome of orthodontic treatment. Keywords: patients perception, orthodontic treatment