Patient’s Perception of Pain and Discomfort Towards Orthodontic Treatments

Background: Patient undergoes orthodontic treatment with removable and fixed appliances will usually complaint of pain and discomfort. The level of pain and discomfort experience by patient will determined the cooperation and compliance towards the treatment. This study explores the perception of pain and type of discomfort experience by patients when undergoes orthodontic treatment. Material and method: This cross-sectional study involve a set of questionnaires regarding patient social demographic and factors contributing to pain and discomfort among patients with removable and fixed appliances. Result: This study shows that the most common discomfort experienced by patients with removable appliance are increased in saliva flow, interferes with mastication and altering speech. Apart from that, ulcers, pain in the mouth and appliance breakages are the most common pain experience by the patients with fixed appliances. Conclusion: In conclusion, majority of patients will experience some form of pain and discomfort during orthodontic treatments. Thus, information regarding pain and discomfort during orthodontic treatment should be clearly convey during the first initial appointment to prepare patient mental and physically.