A Detailed Correlation of Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients Undergoing Fixed Orthodontic Therapy

Abstract

Malocclusion is a dental condition that can affect both children's and adolescents' oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and the seriousness of the condition is indicated by the patient's requirement for orthodontic therapy. The patient or his or her caretaker may personally report the necessity for orthodontic therapy, or the doctor or orthodontist may quantify it objectively. However, discrepancies in the requirement for either objective orthodontic therapy or subjective orthodontic therapy have been noted. The OHRQoL measurements should be used in conjunction with the indicator of orthodontic therapy requirement to represent the patient's anticipated treatment requirement. Some systematic reviews have revealed evidence that malocclusion has a detrimental effect on OHRQoL. In addition to the effects of malocclusion, the impact of orthodontic therapy on OHRQoL has also been documented. There is a dearth of related follow-up studies, particularly those documenting OHRQoL improvements in adolescents both before the beginning of treatment and termination of orthodontics treatment. Additionally, it has been hypothesized that self-esteem affects OHRQoL, albeit there is insufficient data to support either its specific function or its connection to perceptions of oral health. As a result, the purpose of this literature review is to determine whether patients receiving fixed orthodontic therapy report any changes in their reported OHRQoL. There was an extensive review of available original research, case reports, systematic reviews, literature reviews, etc., available in reliable sources of information like PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, etc. The review found that the process of receiving orthodontic therapy might be unpleasant, affecting OHRQoL. The discomfort caused by orthodontic equipment, which are foreign things put into a delicate portion of the body, is both psychological and physical. Such discomfort may have a detrimental effect on the patient's willingness to receive therapy, their participation, and the treatment's effectiveness. The main sources of discomfort that patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment report are the appliance's design, amount of force used in the early stages of their therapy, prior painful memories, emotional variables, cognitive variables, and environmental factors such as age, sex, and culture. As a result, orthodontic treatment may have negative effects on a person's QoL that, in most situations, are temporary.; Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. (Copyright © 2023, Raji Alrwuili et al.)