Impact of the First Archwires Placement on the Everyday Activities of Orthodontics Patients

Abstract

Orthodontic treatment (OT) is essential for the aesthetic and functional rehabilitation of the chewing apparatus, however it may lead to certain complications which can have a negative impact on patients' everyday lives. The study included patients of the Dental Teaching Clinic of Universidad de La Frontera who were undergoing OT for the first time, with the placement of their first orthodontic arch. To analyse the impact of the placement of the first arches on everyday activities (EDA), patients completed a questionnaire with questions relating to their oral condition, including: functional limitation, physical impairment, psychological malaise, physical pain and oral hygiene. The impact on EDAs was classified as high, moderate or low. The chisquared test, Student's t-test and Spearman's coefficient were applied, using a significance threshold of 5 %. Statistical analysis used the SPSS software, v. 22.0. The variables were analysed by sex and age-band. Difficulty in brushing their teeth, eating and speaking were the limitations on EDAs most frequently reported by the patients. Females presented higher scores than males (p=0.003), showing that they suffer a greater negative impact on EDAs than do males. The majority of the patients presented a low impact on EDAs after the placement of their first orthodontic arches. Physical pain after installation, and difficulty in adapting to the orthodontic apparatus were factors determining a negative impact on EDAs, affecting sleep, speech, eating and oral hygiene of patients after starting OT.