An analytical study on the recognition and the reactive behavior of patients to past oral injuries caused by fixed appliance.

Abstract

A questionnaire survey was carried out to determine the types of inconvenience felt in daily life due to oral injuries caused by fixed orthodontic appliances and to determine the percentages of orthodontic patients who feel such inconveniences and who visit emergency clinics for treatment of the oral injury as well as the relationship between these percentages. The subjects were 64 orthodontic patients who had been fitted with fixed appliances (male/female ratio, 1:3.6; mean age, 23.5±6.2 years; mean treatment period, 2.2±1.3 years). The following results were obtained: 1. There was a greater tendency in male patients than in female patients to either constantly feel inconveniences in daily life due to oral injury or to not feel any inconveniences at all. There was also a greater tendency in male patients than in female patients not to visit emergency clinics for treatment. 2. There appears to be a correlation between the feeling of inconvenience in daily life due to oral injury and visiting an emergency clinic for treatment. 3. The main factors causing the feeling of inconvenience in daily life were difficulty in speaking, irritation and pain. 4. More than half of the patients who did not visit emergency clinics for treatment of oral injury probably have negative or indifferent feelings regarding treatment for the oral injury.