Do failed appointments lead to discontinuation of orthodontic treatment?

A retrospective case note study was performed on 500 consecutive patients attending an orthodontic clinic. The total number of appointments and number of failed appointments was ascertained. The outcome of treatment was recorded as one of five categories: default before treatment, 46 (9.2%); still under treatment, 42 (8.4%); transferred elsewhere, 9 (1.8%); default during treatment, 88 (17.6%); or completed treatment, 315 (63.0%). Using a chi-square test, the 315 patients who completed treatment were compared with the 88 who defaulted during treatment. The total number of appointments was significantly fewer, but the number of failed appointments was significantly greater in the discontinued treatment groups. The standardized failure rate (total number of failed appointments / total number of appointments x 100) was used to compensate for the difference in the total number of appointments between the groups. The mean standardized failure rate was only 10.3% for the completed treatment group compared with 21.4% for the discontinued treatment group.