Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Adolescents in the First 6 Months of Fixed Orthodontic Therapy.

Clarification on disabilities that may arise during orthodontic treatment allows patients to have more realistic expectations. This prospective study assessed the impact of fixed orthodontic therapy on adolescents' quality of life over 6 months. A total of 78 adolescents aged 11-17 years were included. Quality of life was measured using the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14, short form) at five moments: before treatment (T0), one week (T1), one month (T2), three months (T3), and six months (T4) after treatment initiation. Multiple and pairwise comparisons were conducted for CPQ11-14 scores (Friedman and Wilcoxon test; effect size). Changes in the quality of life were assessed as mean differences (T0-T1 and T0-T4) in total and domain scores (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney test) (α = 5%). Significant differences were observed between T0 and T4 in the oral symptoms' domain (p < 0.001), and between T0 and T1, T2, T3, and T4 for emotional well-being (p < 0.001 for all). Significant differences in impact were also found between T0 and T2, T3, and T4 with regard to social well-being (p = 0.004, =0.049, and <0.001, respectively). Orthodontic therapy positively impacted the emotional and social aspects of adolescents' quality of life. Negative effects were primarily related to pain, mouth sores, and difficulty biting or chewing. Understanding the symptoms and feelings of orthodontic patients aids professionals in decision-making.

Do laypersons perceive aesthetic differences between coated and uncoated orthodontic archwires?

INTRODUCTION: Aesthetic brackets are routinely combined with metallic wires in fixed orthodontic therapy, mainly due to the disadvantages of the clinical use of aesthetic archwires. The current situation needs to be explored in the literature by considering laypersons' perceptions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate laypersons' aesthetic perceptions of metal archwires with and without aesthetic coating. Three age ranges and both sexes were evaluated. METHODS: A volunteer using fixed aesthetic orthodontic appliance was photographed wearing the following archwires: stainless steel, nickel-titanium (NiTi), NiTi coated with epoxy resin and NiTi coated with rhodium. Using a 100-mm visual analog scale, 90 laypersons evaluated the photographs. Sex and age ranges (18-30, 31-45, over 46 years of age) were evaluated. The comparisons between the archwires and between age ranges were made using ANOVA and Tukey's test. Genders were compared using Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: The results showed that the evaluators considered the archwire coated with epoxy resin to be the most aesthetic (60.64 ± 13.04) and the NiTi wire to be the least aesthetic (30.82 ± 7.79) (p< 0.05). Only the range of 31-45 years of age considered the NiTi archwires less aesthetic, when compared with the other age groups. For the other archwires, no statistically significant difference were found between the age groups. No differences between the sexes were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the aesthetic coated archwires represent an improvement in the visual aspect of ceramic brackets. The epoxy-coated metal wire was considered the most aesthetic option.

Do laypersons perceive aesthetic differences between coated and uncoated orthodontic archwires?

ABSTRACT Introduction: Aesthetic brackets are routinely combined with metallic wires in fixed orthodontic therapy, mainly due to the disadvantages of the clinical use of aesthetic archwires. The current situation needs to be explored in the literature by considering laypersons' perceptions. Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate laypersons' aesthetic perceptions of metal archwires with and without aesthetic coating. Three age ranges and both sexes were evaluated. Methods: A volunteer using fixed aesthetic orthodontic appliance was photographed wearing the following archwires: stainless steel, nickel-titanium (NiTi), NiTi coated with epoxy resin and NiTi coated with rhodium. Using a 100-mm visual analog scale, 90 laypersons evaluated the photographs. Sex and age ranges (18-30, 31-45, over 46 years of age) were evaluated. The comparisons between the archwires and between age ranges were made using ANOVA and Tukey's test. Genders were compared using Mann-Whitney test. Results: The results showed that the evaluators considered the archwire coated with epoxy resin to be the most aesthetic (60.64 ± 13.04) and the NiTi wire to be the least aesthetic (30.82 ± 7.79) (p< 0.05). Only the range of 31-45 years of age considered the NiTi archwires less aesthetic, when compared with the other age groups. For the other archwires, no statistically significant difference were found between the age groups. No differences between the sexes were detected. Conclusions: The results indicated that the aesthetic coated archwires represent an improvement in the visual aspect of ceramic brackets. The epoxy-coated metal wire was considered the most aesthetic option.

RESUMO Introdução: rotineiramente na terapia ortodôntica fixa, utilizam-se braquetes estéticos combinados com fios metálicos, principalmente devido a algumas desvantagens no uso clínico dos fios estéticos. A percepção estética dos leigos nessa situação precisa ser explorada na literatura. Objetivo: o objetivo deste estudo transversal foi avaliar a percepção estética dos leigos em relação aos fios ortodônticos metálicos recobertos ou não por materiais estéticos. Três faixas etárias, dos dois sexos, foram avaliadas. Métodos: uma paciente usando aparelho ortodôntico fixo estético foi fotografada com os seguintes fios ortodônticos: aço inoxidável, níquel-titânio (NiTi), NiTi recoberto por resina epóxica e NiTi recoberto por ródio. As fotografias foram avaliadas por 90 leigos, utilizando-se uma escala visual analógica de 100-mm. Ambos os sexos e diferentes faixas etárias (18-30, 31-45 e acima de 46 anos) foram avaliados. As comparações entre os fios e entre as faixas etárias foram realizadas aplicando-se os testes ANOVA e Tukey. Os sexos foram comparados utilizando-se o teste de Mann-Whitney. Resultados: os resultados demonstraram que os avaliadores consideraram o fio recoberto por resina epóxica como o mais estético (60,64 ± 13,04) e o fio de NiTi foi classificado como o menos estético (30,82 ± 7,79) (p< 0,05). Apenas a faixa etária de 31-45 anos considerou o fio de NiTi menos estético, quando comparada às outras faixas etárias; para os outros fios, não foi observada diferença estatisticamente significativa entre as faixas etárias. Não foi detectada diferença entre os sexos. Conclusões: os resultados indicaram que os fios estéticos recobertos melhoraram o aspecto visual dos braquetes cerâmicos. O fio metálico recoberto por resina epóxica foi considerado a opção mais estética.