Consent to orthodontic treatment--is it working?

Area of Science:

• Orthodontic treatment
• Informed consent
• Patient recall

Background:

• Informed consent is crucial for ethical orthodontic treatment.
• Understanding patient and parent recall of consent is vital for assessing the process effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient and/or parent recall of orthodontic treatment consent.
• To identify specific areas of high and low recall within the consent process.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was administered to 41 patients and 8 parents at least six months post-consent for orthodontic treatment.
• The study was conducted at Bristol Dental Hospital.
• Participants recalled aspects including appliance type, treatment reasons, risks, duration, and information provision.

Main Results:

• High recall was observed for appliance type (89.8%), treatment reasons (96%), and opportunity to ask questions (96%).
• Recall for specific risks was lower, with decay recall at 36.8% and root resorption recall below 21%.
• Recall for retention details was also moderate, with 56.3% for retention and 35% for retention length.

Conclusions:

• The orthodontic consent process is generally effective.
• There is a need to improve patient and parent understanding of specific orthodontic treatment risks.
• Enhancing recall of risks like decay and root resorption is essential for truly informed consent.