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Published on: February 10, 2014
Patients' perceptions regarding microimplant as anchorage in orthodontics
Tony C K Lee1, Colman P J McGrath, Ricky W K Wong
1Orthodontics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
The Angle Orthodontist
|February 7, 2008
Summary
Patients undergoing orthodontic microimplant surgery often overestimate expected pain. Postoperative pain was manageable and decreased over time, with high patient acceptance and recommendation rates for this orthodontic anchorage method.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Dental Implantology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Orthodontic microimplants are increasingly used for anchorage.
- Patient perception of pain influences treatment acceptance.
- Understanding pain expectations versus experience is crucial for patient satisfaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare patient-reported pain expectations and experiences with orthodontic microimplant surgery versus other orthodontic procedures.
- To assess patient acceptance and satisfaction with microimplant surgery.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-eight microimplants were placed in 37 patients for orthodontic anchorage.
- Patients rated anticipated and experienced pain using a visual analog scale (VAS) over 7 days for various procedures.
- A structured questionnaire assessed acceptance one month post-insertion.
Main Results:
- Patients significantly overestimated pain from microimplant surgery compared to their actual experience (P < .001).
- Postoperative pain consistently decreased from day 1 to day 7 for all procedures (P < .05).
- Initial tooth alignment resulted in a larger area under the curve (AUC) for pain than microimplant surgery (P < .05).
- 76% of patients were satisfied with microimplant surgery, and 78% would recommend it.
Conclusions:
- Patients tend to overestimate the anticipated pain associated with orthodontic microimplant surgery.
- Microimplant surgery is well-accepted by patients, with a majority satisfied and willing to recommend the procedure.
