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PubMed2005

Attitudes towards orthodontic treatment: a comparison of treated and untreated subjects.

The aims of the present study were to evaluate treated and untreated subjects' attitudes towards orthodontic treatment and to examine possible determinants of these attitudes. It was hypothesized that orthodontically treated individuals would differ from untreated respondents in their attitude towards orthodontists and orthodontic treatment, and that female subjects would have a more positive attitude towards orthodontics than male subjects. Untreated individuals (n = 220) were used as a comparison group in the evaluation of orthodontic health care by previously treated subjects (n = 246). Two questionnaires were completed. The first, based on the Dental Attitude Questionnaire, contained 32 items about general attitude towards orthodontic treatment and was completed by both groups. The second questionnaire contained 46 negatively and positively based statements concerning different aspects of orthodontic treatment, and was completed by previously treated subjects. The reliability of both questionnaires was satisfactory. Previously treated subjects were found to have a significantly more positive attitude towards orthodontics than untreated subjects. The subject's attitude towards the relationship with the orthodontist, satisfaction with the treatment result and experiences with follow-up appointments predicted the general attitude towards orthodontics. Age, but not gender, was found to be a significant predictor for a subject's general attitude towards orthodontics.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Effectiveness of a personalised referral letter following orthodontic screening.

No data exist on the usefulness of orthodontic screening in guiding those children who need orthodontic treatment towards professional advice. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a personalised referral letter following an orthodontic screening programme employing an objective measure of treatment need, the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Out of a total sample of 924 children aged 11-12 yr, 201 were in need of orthodontic treatment and no orthodontic treatment was planned. From this subsample test and control groups matched for sex, socio-economic background, dental disease and aesthetic impairment were created. Following screening, the parents of the test group only were sent a specific orthodontic referral letter. The dental practitioners of the children in the test and control groups were contacted during a follow-up investigation carried out 8 months later, this revealed that significantly more children entered orthodontic treatment pathways from the test group. This study demonstrated that a screening programme, using IOTN as a screening test, and a referral procedure which provided parents with specific information were successful in guiding over one third of children with a need for orthodontic treatment towards orthodontic advice.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1998

Cost and productivity analysis of orthodontic care in Finland.

The aim of the study was to investigate the costs of orthodontic care provided for children and adolescents up to the age of 18 by municipal health centers in Finland, and to study the productivity of these services. The data were gathered by a questionnaire sent to all health centers; 96% responded. The majority of respondents estimated the share of orthodontic care as 10% of the total gross costs of dental care, given that 14% of all dental visits were for orthodontic reasons. To study the productivity in individual health centers, the output was measured by the estimated number of completely treated patients. The cost of orthodontic treatment per completely treated patient was, on average, FIM 7358, ranging from FIM 1299 to FIM 24751. The strongest explanatory factor for the average total costs of orthodontic clinics was the number of general dentists with little experience in providing orthodontic treatment. Other explanatory factors were the number of orthodontists or experienced dentists, the percentage of orthodontic tasks performed by auxiliary personnel, and the timing of treatment. Savings might be obtained by devolving treatment to orthodontists or experienced dentists instead of to dentists with little orthodontic experience, and by starting treatment early. The estimated optimal size for an orthodontic clinic was found to be a unit with 830 completely treated patients per year, but most of the orthodontic clinics were in fact much smaller with, on average, 133 completely treated patients per year.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed2006

Siwak as a oral hygiene aid in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to compare the mechanical efficacy of Siwak in plaque control and gingival health conditions in subjects wearing fixed orthodontic appliances compared with standard and orthodontic toothbrushes. METHODS: Forty male patients with a mean age of 17.20+/-4.01 years, wearing fixed orthodontic appliances were included in this study. Following a session of scaling and polishing, which established a situation with minimal gingival inflammation and close to zero amounts of dental plaque, all patients were instructed to use a standard soft toothbrush for 1 week after which they were randomly and equally allocated to one of four groups: (i) a manual toothbrush group; (ii) an orthodontic toothbrush group; (iii) a Siwak group; and (iv) a combination of Siwak and an orthodontic toothbrush group. All patients were instructed to brush their teeth three times a day. All patients were scored for plaque and gingivitis 1 week after scaling and polishing and 2 weeks following group assignment. RESULTS: A similar effect of Siwak to that of soft and orthodontic toothbrushes with respect to plaque control in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances was found. It was the combined use of Siwak and orthodontic toothbrush that provided the best plaque control in such patients. Gingival condition was better in the Siwak groups whether used solely or in combination with an orthodontic toothbrush. CONCLUSION: The use of Siwak promotes gingival health in patients with orthodontic appliances.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

[Efficacy of orthodontic treatment according to the Peer Assessment Rating index].

The work deals with assessment of orthodontic treatment using the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index. The objective was to rate the results of orthodontic treatment in the following groups: 1. All patients seen at the Department of Orthodontics, Pomeranian Academy of Medicine; 2. Patients treated by individual dentists at the Department of Orthodontics, Pomeranian Academy of Medicine; 3. Patients with distocclusion; 4. Patients treated with fixed appliances. 1. Rating in patients treated at the Department of Orthodontics, Pomeranian Academy of Medicine Mean reduction in PAR for all patients treated at the Department of Orthodontics was 70%. On this basis, the efficiency of treatment in this group can be termed as high, with 18% of patients classified to "marked improvement", 73% of patients to "improvement" and 9% to "deterioration--no change" groups. This reduction in PAR index is a good result in comparison with published data. 2. Rating in patients treated by individual dentists at the Department of Orthodontics, Pomeranian Academy of Medicine Reduction in PAR ranged from 48% to 83%, depending on the dentist concerned. Orthodontist A achieved the highest reduction (83%), while orthodontists C and E achieved lowest reduction (64% and 48%, respectively). Analysis of patients treated by orthodontists A and C demonstrated that the median PAR for orthodontist A was higher by 5 points than for orthodontist C. 80 malocclusions treated by orthodontist A were difficult to manage. Besides, treatment by orthodontist A was approximately 4 months shorter than by orthodontist C. Patients of orthodontist A had approximately two visits less than patients of orthodontist C. Average costs of treatment for orthodontist A were approximately PLN 500 lower than costs for orthodontist C. In 25% of patients of orthodontist A "marked improvement" was achieved as opposed to only 17% of for orthodontist C. 3. Rating in patients with distocclusion The most significant improvement in this group was achieved with Lehman's appliance (84%). Significant improvement was also noted in patients treated with a two-arch fixed appliance (82%). The lowest reduction in PAR was observed in patients treated with one-arch fixed appliance (64%). High efficiency of treatment with Lehman's appliance or with two-arch fixed appliance in patients with distocclusion is comparable with published results. 4. Rating in patients treated with fixed appliances Patients treated with two-arch fixed appliance achieved higher reduction in PAR than patients treated with one-arch fixed appliance. The main criterion was overcrowding of lower incisors. Results show that treatment with two-arch fixed appliance, in spite of lack of overcrowding of lower incisors, improves the efficiency of treatment. Patients treated with two-arch fixed appliance achieved better qualitative and quantitative results than patients treated with one-arch fixed appliance. In effect, the former patients were managed more effectively. The following conclusions were drawn: 1. The efficiency of treatment at the Department of Orthodontics, Pomeranian Medical University, was high; 2. The efficiency of treatment by orthodontists at the Department of Orthodontics, Pomeranian Medical University, was high; 3. Treatment efficacy for patients with distocclusion was highest with Lehman's appliance and with two-arch fixed appliance; 4. Although costs of treatment were reduced with one-arch fixed appliance, efficiency was lower than for two-arch fixed appliance. Moreover, it is necessary to: 5. Treat abnormalities of occlusion affecting the esthetics of bite, but also abnormalities with importance for normal occlusion that the patient is not aware of, like abnormalities in buccal segments, compression of lower incisors, marked overbite and centerline shift; 6. Control right and left buccal occlusion to the same extent; 7. Treat both jaws using removable and fixed appliances.

Dental Occlusion↗
PubMed1981

Orthodontic cooperation.

The purpose of the present article was to provide a reasonably coherent picture of the concept as well as the prediction of the misunderstood phenomenon of orthodontic cooperation. A sample of seventy orthodontic patients was studied. A double-blind quasi-experimental research design was performed. Psychological instruments were used in order to measure achievement, affiliation, and attribution motivation. The following dependent variables were recorded: headgear wear, elastic wear, appliance maintenance, nonbroken appointments, oral hygiene, and plaque index. The raw data were analyzed by three different techniques. The results obtained from this study indicate that orthodontic cooperation is predictable through psychological testing. Specifically, high-need achievers cooperate better orthodontically than low-need affiliators, and internals cooperate better orthodontically than externals. Further, it was found that orthodontic cooperation does not involve a simple single general dimension of cooperation. Rather, orthodontic cooperation is composed of a more complex structure of two orthogonal constructs: Specific Orthodontics Construct of Cooperation (SOCC) and Perio-Orthodontic Construct of Cooperation (POCC). Because SOCC and POCC are orthogonal, a patient who is a good brusher does not have to be a good headgear wearer, and vice versa. The relative contribution of motivational psychology on each of the variables constituting orthodontic cooperation was determined. The implications for clinical applications were presented.

Achievement↗
PubMed2003

An assessment of relationship between self-esteem, orthodontic concern, and Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) scores among secondary school students in Ibadan, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the correlation between self-esteem, orthodontic concern and orthodontic status using DAI scores in a group of Nigerian potential orthodontic patients. DESIGN: A cross-sectional analytical study. SETTING: Secondary schools reflecting a good socio-economic spread of adolescents in the town. PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected 520 junior and senior students 276 (53.1%) males and 244 (46.9%) females with mean age of 15.02 +/- 3.26 (SD) years participated in the study. METHODS: Each student was asked to fill in the questionnaire on orthodontic concern and Global Negative Self-Evaluation scale (GSE) with subsequent assessment of the occlusion according to the DAI by one orthodontist. After obtaining consent, thirty students were re-examined to test intra-examiner reliability which was good (r = 0.98, P < 0.001). RESULTS: The correlations between self-esteem, orthodontic concern and DAI scores were tested using Spearman rank order correlation coefficient. Significant positive correlations were observed between self-esteem and orthodontic concern according to DAI treatment category needs (r = 0.274, p<0.01; r = 0.396, p<0.01; r = 0.347, p<0.05) except for the severe malocclusion group which was positive but not statistically significant (r = 0.136, p> 0.05). Significant correlation was equally noted between DAI scores and orthodontic concern (r = 0.191, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Significant positive correlation existed between self-esteem in a group of Nigerian adolescents and their orthodontic concern as well as between their DAI scores and orthodontic concern. DAI should be a relevant and useful occlusal index for the Nigerian orthodontic population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The provision of orthodontic services by general dental practitioners. 1. Methods and descriptive results.

Information regarding orthodontic service provision by general dental practitioners in Australia is limited. The aim of this survey was to determine the amount and variety of orthodontic services provided by general dental practitioners in the Melbourne Statistical Division, Victoria, Australia. A random sample of 307 dentists drawn from the Victorian Dentists Register was surveyed by mailed questionnaire: 218 (71%) replied. Data were collected using a fortnight log. During this time 59 per cent of the dentists saw at least one orthodontic patient; one dentist saw 66 orthodontic patients. Removable orthodontic appliances were used by 35 per cent of the dentists and fixed orthodontic appliances by 18 per cent. Twenty-six per cent provided comprehensive orthodontic treatment, 22 per cent aligned incisors, and 21 per cent corrected anterior crossbites. The general dental practitioners surveyed provided a wide range of preventive and interceptive orthodontic services to generally a small percentage of their patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Indication for and frequency of early orthodontic therapy or interceptive measures.

The early treatment of nonskeletal and skeletal orthodontic anomalies in the deciduous and early mixed dentition is intended to prevent the development of pronounced anomalies in the late mixed and permanent dentition with the ultimate aim of reducing or even eliminating the need for later orthodontic treatment. There is a general consensus in the international literature that early therapy is indicated in cases of anterior and lateral crossbite and Class III malocclusion, and possibly for extreme forms of mandibular retrognathism (overjet > or =10 mm) and of open bite. However, evidence of the efficiency of early orthodontic measures is just as rare as studies providing serviceable information on the incidence of tooth malalignments and malocclusions in the deciduous and early mixed dentition, some of whose findings are in any case highly divergent. This makes it substantially more difficult to draw conclusions on the extent to which early orthodontic therapy may be indicated. In order to obtain information on the incidence of nonskeletal and skeletal orthodontic problems constituting a treatment need, 2326 first-year schoolchildren aged between 6 and 7 years were examined in Frankfurt am Main and in the Rural District of Offenbach. In only 14.7% of the children were no relevant orthodontic findings recorded. 77.2% displayed mild to severe dysgnathic symptoms, though without early orthodontic therapy being considered indicated. Treatment with orthodontic appliances was considered urgent for 187 of the children (8.04%). With 8.3% and 7.9% respectively, lateral and anterior crossbite were top of the list of anomalies with an urgent treatment need. Among the patients with lateral crossbite, the prognostically less favorable unilateral form was recorded approximately four times more often than the bilateral form. Markedly increased sagittal overjet > or =10 mm) was registered in only 1.4% of the children, and negative overjet (Class III) (with the exception of edge-to-edge bite) in 1.9%. Extreme anterior open bite > or =6 mm) was recorded in only two children (0.09%). In 19.6% of the children, a supporting zone was reduced in at least one quadrant, necessitating interceptive measures such as the insertion of a space maintainer or later orthodontic treatment (space opening or extraction therapy).

Child↗
PubMed2006

A qualitative study to develop a tool to examine patients' perceptions of NHS orthodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To identify issues of importance to adolescent patients surrounding the delivery of orthodontic treatment under the National Health Service (NHS), which can form the basis of a tool to examine patients' perceptions of NHS orthodontic treatment. DESIGN: Study using qualitative research methods. SETTING: Patients were recruited from the orthodontic departments at Derriford Hospital and Bristol Dental Hospital, and from Specialist Orthodontic Practices in Plymouth and Solihull. SUBJECTS: A rolling sample of patients from a list of orthodontic patients under treatment at each site was selected. Twenty-six patients took part in five focus group meetings. Three patients took part in semi-structured telephone interviews. METHODS: Participants were invited to participate in either a focus group meeting or a telephone interview. The transcripts of these meetings were analysed by two researchers working independently. Issues of importance to patients regarding the delivery of orthodontic treatment under the NHS were identified. RESULTS: The issues identified included being treated with respect by the clinician and being included in discussions about treatment. Participants tended to rely on their peers for advice about what to expect from treatment. The patients also discussed the benefits to them of undergoing orthodontic treatment. These included an improved appearance and increased self-confidence. CONCLUSION: This qualitative research has identified issues that are important to adolescent orthodontic patients. These issues will be used to form the basis of a patient-centred measure for auditing patients' perceptions of orthodontic treatment under the NHS.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Do pediatric dentists practice the orthodontics they are taught?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the orthodontic treatment provided by pediatric dentists reflects the orthodontic training received in pediatric dental residency programs. METHODS: Five questions from a survey of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) diplomates in August 2002 and a survey of pediatric dental residency program directors in June 2002 were statistically analyzed to compare the orthodontic treatment provided by diplomates to that provided within pediatric dental residency programs. RESULTS: Patient populations differed financially between pediatric dental residencies and diplomates of the AAPD. Residents treated significantly more public assistance patients. The residents were more likely than diplomates to use most orthodontic appliances and treat most stages of dental development and most conditions/malocclusions with orthodontics. Diplomates anticipated a decrease in the amount of orthodontic treatment provided in the next 5 years, while program directors anticipated an increase. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the orthodontic treatment provided by pediatric dental residents and diplomates was similar, although the residents were exposed to more diverse orthodontic treatment modalities than those used by diplomates. The residencies were also more likely than the diplomates to increase the amount of orthodontic treatment provided in the next 5 years.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1991

Application of the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory in evaluating orthodontic compliance.

Lack of adolescent patient compliance is a significant problem in orthodontics. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of using a commercially available adolescent personality test to predict the behavior of adolescent patients in an orthodontic practice. Specifically, this study tested (1) the use of the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI) as an appropriate instrument for an adolescent orthodontic population and (2) the correlation between MAPI test results and orthodontic compliance. The MAPI was administered to 104 13- to 18-year-old orthodontic patients who were blindly evaluated for orthodontic compliance after 2 years of treatment. Twenty modified MAPI scales with high internal consistencies (coefficient alpha = 0.66 to 0.87) were developed. Factor analytic results demonstrated that the modified scales had a dimensionality that was similar to that of the original test. Seven of 20 test scales and gender were found to be significantly correlated with orthodontic compliance. These eight variables contribute to a predictive model that accounts for 24% of the variance in assessing orthodontic compliance. We conclude that the MAPI has potential as a useful instrument in assisting the management of adolescent patient behavior in an orthodontic practice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

The emotional impact of orthognathic surgery and conventional orthodontics.

Previous research by the authors has pointed to depressive reactions among orthognathic surgery patients during the fixation-removal stage and up to 9 months later. However, less is known about emotional shifts among persons who choose to undergo conventional orthodontic treatment after considering surgical orthodontics. In the current study, a standard measure of mood states was applied to 90 surgical patients and 66 who had considered surgery but decided against it. Of these, 33 were undergoing orthodontic treatment and 33 were having no treatment. The mood scale and measures of personality were first applied before surgery and then during orthodontic treatment, just after surgery, at fixation removal, and 6 months after surgery. Nonsurgical respondents completed questionnaires at the same time as their matched surgical respondents. Scores on tension and fatigue increased significantly among surgical patients from before surgery to immediately after surgery and dropped to presurgical levels when fixation was removed. Anger-hostility increased at fixation removal but declined within 5 months. Postsurgical discomfort, pain, and paresthesia, and interpersonal and oral function problems were correlated with postsurgery emotional state. On the later questionnaires, which corresponded to the later periods of orthodontic treatment, patients who had opted for conventional orthodontic treatment reported that they experienced greater depression, anger, and tension. These patients may be particularly vulnerable to emotional problems because their orthodontic treatment may be more complex and of longer duration than that of the typical orthodontic patient. These results point to the importance of continued psychological support for both orthodontic and surgical patients throughout their course of treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Parental perceptions and attitudes on orthodontic care.

The objective of this paper is to determine whether an association existed between parents' attitudes to orthodontic issues affecting themselves and their attitudes to possible orthodontic treatment for their child. It consisted of an analytical survey using a self-administered questionnaire, taken in South East England of six-hundred parents of children aged 9 years. The questionnaires were delivered to the parent with the help of their child's school. Four-hundred-and-thirty-seven questionnaires were returned (73 per cent). Significant associations were found between desire by the parents for orthodontic treatment for themselves and perception of need in their child, parental satisfaction with own dental appearance and perception of need in their child, a parental history of orthodontic treatment and a determination to insist on their child's co-operation with orthodontic treatment. Logistic regression models show the odds of parents who desire orthodontic treatment themselves, perceiving need in their children are three times greater than for other parents. 1. There is some evidence that parents who desire orthodontic treatment for themselves, or who are former orthodontic patients are more likely to approve of orthodontic care in principle and to perceive a need for it in their child. 2. Further research is required to establish to what extent genetic factors are involved.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2001

[Pre- and post-surgical orthodontic treatment for skeletal open bite].

OBJECTIVE: To Study the principles and rules of pre- and post-surgical orthodontic treatment for skeletal open bite patients. METHODS: Thirty-two surgically treated open bite cases were analyzed, of which 9 were males, and 23 were females, aged from 16 to 38. Open bite was from 1 to 8.5 mm, average was 4 mm. 31 patients were Class III malocclusion, while 1 patient was Class II malocclusion. RESULTS: 1. Totally 21 patients were treated with orthodontics before and after orthognathic surgery, while 8 patients had pre-surgical orthodontics only, and other 3 had post-surgical orthodontics only. The duration for pre-surgical orthodontics was from 4 to 33 months, average was 12 months. The duration for post-surgical orthodontics was from 3 to 17 months, average was 8.5 months. 2. Presurgical orthodontic treatment included: Alignment of arches, decompensation of incisors, avoiding extrusion of incisors, and slight expansion of arches for coordination of arches. 3. Post-surgical orthodontic treatment included: Closure of residual spaces in the arches, realignment of arches, vertical elastics and Class II or III intermaxillary elastics. CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal open bites require combined orthodontic-orthognathic surgery for optimal and esthetical pleasing results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

[Treatment of skeletal Class II malocclusion by orthodontic and surgical means].

OBJECTIVE: Skeletal class II malocclusion is often occurred in Oriental and Black. It is difficult to gain the ideal treatment objective either using the orthognathic surgery or orthodontic treatment alone. However, the combined orthodontic and surgical treatment can reach it, so we investigate the methods and characteristics of combined orthodontic and surgical treatment in skeletal class II malocclusion. METHODS: We analyzed the recent 22 cases with skeletal class II malocclusion in Hospital of Stomatology, West China University of Medical Sciences with 7 male and 15 female from 20 to 30 years old. In the study, we discussed the time of extraction, the peculiarity of orthodontic treatment and the selection of surgery type. RESULTS: After the combined orthodontic and surgical treatment, all the patients regained satisfactory face appearance and function. The selection of surgery type is decided by the skeletal characteristics of malocclusion (the malformation degree and the position). The upper first premolars were extracted before the orthodontic treatment for the purpose of better curing of surface of the skeletal wound. And the pre and post-surgical orthodontic treatment were very important and necessary to regain the ideal face appearance and function. CONCLUSION: The combined orthodontic and surgical treatment is an efficient way to cure skeletal class II malocclusion. Suitable orthognathic surgery and rational orthodontic treatment are important to treat adult skeletal class II malocclusion.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Expectations of treatment and satisfaction with facial appearance in Nigerian orthodontic patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate correlation between satisfaction with facial appearance and expectations of orthodontic treatment. The effects of sex and age on these variables were also explored. A sample of 201 patients who presented for orthodontic treatment at two referral centers in Nigeria: the Orthodontic Unit, University College Hospital, Ibadan and Department of Child Dental Health, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, completed a questionnaire on satisfaction with facial appearance and expectations of orthodontic treatment. They consisted of 89 (44.3%) males and 112 (55.7%) females with age range of 8 to 40 years (mean age, 13.60 +/- 8.03 SD). Correlation between patients' expectations, satisfaction with facial appearance, age and sex were examined. A multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the effect of the initial facial satisfaction on expectations of orthodontic treatment. No significant correlation was found between satisfaction with facial appearance and patients' expectations. The correlation was invariant over gender, but age was found a significant predictor of expectations of orthodontic treatment for patients up to 16 years of age (r = .210; p < 0.05). It was concluded that satisfaction with facial appearance is not a significant predictor of Nigerian orthodontic patients' expectations of treatment. However, age was found a significant predictor of orthodontic patients' expectations of treat-ment for the child orthodontic population sub-sample.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Nickel hypersensitivity reaction before, during, and after orthodontic therapy.

Nickel is a strong biological sensitizer and consequently may induce a delayed hypersensitivity reaction (type IV immune response). Because nickel is a component of the majority of the orthodontic alloys, the objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence of nickel hypersensitivity reaction before, during, and after orthodontic therapy with conventional stainless steel brackets and wires; to evidence the induction of this reaction by the orthodontic appliances; and to characterize the nickel hypersensitive persons. Nickel patch tests and a questionnaire were used to evaluate the hypersensitivity to this metal. The total sample consisted of 170 patients, 105 females and 65 males, from the orthodontic department at Bauru Dental School, University of São Paulo. They were divided into three groups as follows: A (n = 60), patients before the beginning of orthodontic therapy; B (n = 66), patients currently undergoing orthodontic treatment, and C (n = 44), patients who had undergone orthodontic treatment previously. The chi-square test (chi2) showed an allergic reaction in 28.3% of the total sample with 23% female and 5.3% male. This indicated a gender difference (chi2 = 10.75, p < 0.001). There was a positive association between nickel hypersensitivity and previous personal allergic history to metals (chi2 = 34.88, p < 0.0001) as well as with the daily use of metal objects (chi2 = 11.95, p < 0.0005). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of contact dermatitis among the three groups (chi2 = 0.39, p = 0.848). This suggests that orthodontic therapy with conventional stainless steel appliances does not initiate or aggravate a nickel hypersensitivity reaction.

Adolescent↗