Adult orthodontic patients: What is important to them?

Abstract

Objective: To understand patients’ motivations for pursuing treatment, to appreciate what information patients seek and to explore potential factors affecting decision making in adults considering, undergoing or who have had orthodontic treatment in the private sector. Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire study. Setting: Online questionnaire. Participants: A total of 209 (83% women, 16% men, 1% preferred not to say) completed responses were received. Methods: Once piloted, the final survey was made available online to adults in the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland (RoI) who were either considering having orthodontic treatment, currently undergoing treatment or had recently completed treatment in the private sector. Results: The most commonly selected motivating factor was to ‘improve the appearance of my teeth’ (82%). The information sought related predominantly to treatment duration (64%), potential end results (56%), types of appliances that were available (55%) and cost (52%). The two most commonly reported social factors that had influenced participants to consider treatment were ‘seeing myself on social media’ (31%) and ‘it is more socially acceptable to have braces’ (31%). Conclusion: While this area remains relatively underexplored in the literature, it is crucial to develop a comprehensive understanding due to the increasing number of adults seeking orthodontic treatment. This study not only reinforces the existing knowledge regarding adults seeking orthodontic treatment, such as the predominant role of aesthetics as a motivating factor, but also introduces some novel insights. Specifically, we highlight the influence of social factors on decision-making processes and the importance of effectively communicating the duration of treatment to patients.