Incidence of Patients Seeking Retreatment of Malocclusion Reporting to the Institution Over 1 Year Period
Author(s): Abigail Ranasinghe* and Harish Babu
Abstract
Introduction: Orthodontic treatment not only results in better aesthetics, but it also plays a role in maintaining oral hygiene, managing occlusion. A growing number of adult patients are seeking orthodontic treatment. Decisions for retreatment might be related to the fact that the results of the initial orthodontic treatment in adolescence were not satisfactory or ideal. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence of patients seeking retreatment of malocclusion.
Materials and methods: This study is a retrospective observational study conducted in a university hospital in Chennai. This study was carried out between the months of November 2020 March 2021. Data of patients who were given removable appliances were included in the study sample. This was followed by excel tabulation. Data was analysed using SPSS Software. The association of study variables was calculated using Chi Square test.
Results: The most common age group associated with removable appliance therapy was found to be the age group between 21-30 (62.1%). Majority of the patients who reported were females(53.8%) when compared to males. 50.7% of the study population had retreatment due relapse while 49.3% were new patients.
Conclusion: Patient mentality is an essential factor in the success of an orthodontic treatment since they must be willing to follow the instructions to maintain stability and avoid relapse. The clinician needs to plan an appropriate retention strategy to overcome the relapse potential.