Anxiety, Pain, and Quality of Life in Orthodontic Treatment
Condition: Malocclusion; Pain; Anxiety; Quality of Life
MeSH terms: Malocclusion; Anxiety Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study was evaluated anxiety, pain, and oral health-related quality of life in
      individuals treated with conventional fixed appliances (Group A) and clear aligners (Group B)
      for moderate malocclusion during the initial phase of orthodontic treatment
    

Detailed description: 
      Clear aligner treatment is becoming increasingly popular among orthodontic treatment option.
      With this treatment method, which was introduced the literature at the beginning of the 20th
      century, approximately four million individuals in 2019 and over twelve million individuals
      have already been treated today. In addition, the number of commercial companies worldwide
      producing transparent plaque has reached twenty-seven, indicating that these figures will
      increase rapidly. Although there are debates about the effectiveness of the treatment, the
      increase in living standards and the improvement of the quality of life of individuals
      relative to conventional fixed orthodontic treatment have increased interest in clear aligner
      treatment.

      The World Health Organization has multidimensional definitions of the concepts of "quality of
      life" and "health," and their common point is that they emphasize the importance of the
      psychological and social status of individuals in recent years. Quality of life is affected
      by dentofacial problems caused by malocclusions, as well as the psychosocial state of
      individuals during orthodontic treatment. Oral health-related quality of life was defined as
      "the absence of physical and psychological problems in terms of oral health and
      self-confidence associated with the maxillofacial region," and the importance of
      self-confidence and psychosocial status that could affect quality of life was emphasized. The
      presence of pain and anxiety before and at the beginning of orthodontic treatment are among
      the factors affecting oral health-related quality of life.

      Pain is an emotional state frequently encountered by individuals undergoing orthodontic
      treatment, leading to cooperation problems and even causing them to give up treatment. In
      studies comparing the pain levels of individuals treated with conventional fixed orthodontic
      appliances and clear aligners, individuals treated with clear aligners felt less pain in the
      first few days, but there was no significant difference in pain levels in later periods of
      treatment.

      The importance of malocclusion type and arc length disperancy has been emphasized in studies
      comparing conventional fixed therapy and clear plating therapy in terms of pain and quality
      of life. Considering that the concepts of anxiety, pain, and quality of life are interrelated
      by each other, there are limited studies in which both treatment methods are evaluated in
      terms of these factors in a particular malocclusion. The current study aims to compare
      anxiety and pain values observed in the initial phase of orthodontic treatment and oral
      health-related quality of life among individuals with moderate malocclusion treated with
      conventional fixed orthodontic appliances and clear aligners. Our null hypothesis (H0) is
      that there is no difference in anxiety, pain, or oral health-related quality of life between
      individuals treated with conventional fixed orthodontic appliances and clear aligners.
    

Intervention name(s): Conventional fixed treatment; Clear aligner treatment
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Roth brackets (.018; Gemini Roth System, 3M Unitek, USA) were used for the fixed orthodontic attachment; After the clear aligners came from the manufacturer (Align Technology, Santa Clara, CA), the compatibility of the guide aligner with each patient's mouth was checked for attachments
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: clear aligner; Anxiety; Pain; Quality of Life