Abstract :
Introduction: Facial appearance has proved to play a key role in social and psychosocial settings.
With the advances in Orthodontics, patients have become more aware about the possibility of correcting
malocclusions via Braces. Adults however, face some roadblocks before making a confident decision.
Understanding these concerns would help provide optimum treatment to such patients.
Aim: To assess the knowledge and attitude of Adult patients towards Orthodontic treatment
Materials and Methods: A sample of 205 participants was taken (155 Female and 50 Male) after assessing
the sample size within the age group of 18 - 35 year of age. A Questionnaire was created on Google forms
and circulated to participants using various social media platforms. The data of responses of participants
was analyzed on Google forms application itself with the help of pie charts and graphs.
Results : Majority of the participants, both with or without braces asserted that age was not a barrier in
getting orthodontic treatment done. They also suggested that it was never too late to undergo Orthodontic
treatment and that it could be carried out at any age. Majority of the participants, both treated and
non-treated cases also believed that Orthodontic treatment improved function and enhanced the Facial
appearance. Participants also believed that Orthodontic treatment would boost their confidence and in no
way, would wearing braces affect them socially.
Conclusion: This survey based questionnaire helped in assessing the attitude of the general adult
population towards adult Orthodontic treatment as a whole. It concluded that age is not a barrier in today’s
times for getting orthodontic treatment done. Moreover, Adult Orthodontics not only improved the function,
but also the Aesthetics and Self Esteem of the Adult patient undergoing treatment thus eliminating the
earlier notion that Braces can be worn only up till a particular age. Prolonged treatment time was one
of the causes of reluctance in many participants; however, the other benefits outweighed the time related
inconvenience caused by orthodontic treatment.
Keyword :
Adult Orthodontics, Questionnaire survey, Adult Attitude, Orthodontic Treatment.