Background: This study aims to compare the impact of pain on quality of life and patient satisfaction during treatment with aligners.
Methods: Ninety-four subjects in active treatment were invited to answer self-reported questions concerning pain severity and duration, occurrence of other signs and symptoms, and level of satisfaction with their treatment. Also, the OHIP-14 questionnaire was applied to assess patients' OHRQoL.
Results: Ninety-four patients (49 women and 45 men) answered the survey. Pain duration of 1-3 days was reported by 69.1% of patients (n = 60). For those who reported pain (n = 84), it was considered mild severity by 42.9% and moderate by 52.4%. Almost sixty-four percent of the sample were very satisfied with the aligner's aesthetics (n = 60) and forty-nine percent were satisfied with treatment in general (n = 46). Mean OHIP-14 score was 3.36 ± 2.54. OHRQoL was significantly associated with pain severity, whereas patients who reported having experienced moderate pain presented a significantly higher mean OHIP-14 score than those who reported having experienced mild pain (3.92 ± 1.93 and 2.69 ± 2.83, respectively; p = 0.036). The "psychological discomfort" OHIP-14's domain was the most influenced by the level of pain.
Conclusion: Pain severity significantly influenced OHRQoL, in adult patients under treatment with clear aligners. However, high levels of patient satisfaction were reported, regardless of pain duration or severity.
Keywords: Oral health; Orthodontic appliances; Patient satisfaction; Quality of life; Surveys and questionnaires.
© 2024. The Author(s).