Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
12-2011
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Department
Oral Biology
Committee Chair
Chandiramani, Sunita S.
Author's Keywords
Orthodontics; Invisalign; Negative impacts; Quality of life
Subject
Dental care; Orthodontics; Outcome assessment (Medical care)
Abstract
We aimed to examine differences in treatment impacts and quality of life between adult orthodontic patients with Invisalign and fixed appliances. Adults represent a burgeoning branch of orthodontics yet many prospective patients have been reluctant to pursue orthodontics due to concerns with treatment. It was hypothesized that removable aligners would be better tolerated by adult patients. Sixty-three adult patients (forty Invisalign, twenty-three fixed appliances) were recruited from private practice. The treatment groups were largely comparable although the braces group reported more frequent unplanned appointments and use of auxiliaries. The Invisalign group experienced less negative impacts and these differences were generally preserved after adjustment for confounding influences with the exception of pain-related impacts. The Invisalign group had a higher propensity to choose same modality again while a subjective evaluation on quality of life yielded no difference between the groups. The results may guide patient education and selection of the appropriate modality.
Recommended Citation
Nicholson, Keith Christopher, "A survey study comparing adult orthodontic patient quality of life between Invisalign and fixed appliances." (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1060.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/1060
