Orthodontic treatment demand in young adolescents - Are parents familiar with their children's desires and reasons?

Abstract

Aim: To assess the levels of agreement between parents and adolescents about young adolescents' orthodontic treatment demand and to what extent is treatment demand conditioned by family and psychosocial impacts and oral function.

Design: This cross-sectional study included 221 adolescents (11-14 years, 54% female) and their parents. A 5-point scale was used to assess orthodontic treatment demand. Adolescents self-administered the Child Perceptions Questionnaire, and parents self-administered the Parental-Caregivers Perceptions Questionnaire and Family Impact Scale. The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need Dental Health Component (IOTN DHC) was used for determining malocclusion severity. Intraclass correlation coefficient and Cohen's kappa coefficient were used for the assessment of agreement between two informants.

Results: The parent-child agreement on children's orthodontic treatment demand was weak, concording in 67.4% of cases. The most common reasons for seeking orthodontic treatment derive from the emotional (EW) and social well-being domains for both informants. In linear regression, the adolescent's reporting of impaired EW and IOTN DHC was the only significant linear predictor of orthodontic treatment demand.

Conclusion: Parents cannot correctly assess the orthodontic treatment demand of their children. Impaired EW is the most significant self-reported determinant of adolescents' demand for orthodontic treatment. Family relationships and parental perspective have a low influence.

Keywords: behaviour; orthodontics; parent-child relations; quality of life; surveys and questionnaires.