Adeloye AY¹, Umeh OD²*, Utomi IL², Saliu ZA¹, Isiekwe IG², daCosta OO² and Sanu OO²

¹Department of Child Dental Health, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
²Department of Child Dental Health, Faculty of Dental Sciences, CMUL/Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Umeh OD, Department of Child Dental Health, Faculty of Dental Sciences, CMUL/Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

Received: March 04, 2025; Published: March 18, 2025

Abstract

Background: There is an increasing number of adult patients seeking orthodontic treatment. Adults generally present with peculiar considerations such as psychological limitations.Understanding their difficulties during treatment enables clinicians deliver more efficient treatment experiences, thus improving their oral health related quality of life. This study aimed to assess the impact of orthodontic treatment on the Oral Health Related Quality of life of adults.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Self-administered OHIP-14 questionnaire through Google forms on WhatsApp data collection platform was used assess the patients’ quality of life after obtaining consent and ethical approval. Questionnaires assessed levels of pain, discomfort, and oral functional problems using a Likert scale and OHIP.Statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistical package for social sciences [SPSS] version 28.0 with 0.05 level of significance.

Results: A total of 100 participants responded to the survey with a mean age of 24yrs and a male to female ratio of 1:3.Overall OHIP score was 20.26, with males and females demonstrating mean OHIP scores of 18.5 and 20.04 respectively (0.048). Physical discomfort was reported by 95% of respondents. Approximately 94% experienced occasional mouth pain and eating discomfort, with speech affectation in 86%. Approximately 80% and 79% reported self-consciousness and treatment-related anxiety respectively. Only 24.5% felt embarrassed about wearing braces.

Conclusion: Orthodontic treatment affects oral health related quality of life in adults, with physical discomfort being of greatest concern

Keywords:Oral Health Related Quality of Life; OHIP; Adult Orthodontics; Malocclusion

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Citation

Citation: Umeh OD., et al. “Impact of Orthodontic Treatment on Oral Health Related Quality of Life in an Adult Population". Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 9.4 (2025): 62-74.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Umeh OD., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.