[The experiences of adult patients with their orthodontic treatment]

Own experience with an orthodontic treatment stimulated us to interview patients out of retention about four topics concerning their opinion and experience: 1. Reasons for treatment, 2. doubts about treatment, 3. troubles during treatment, 4. attitude to the result of treatment. 50 adults, former patients of the Department of Orthodontics at the Erlangen-Nürnberg University, responded our questionnaire. Aesthetics range first in the patient's desires for treatment. Severe doubts about treatment rarely occurred before treatment. The occurrence of particular complaints cannot be predicted and does not show a characteristic distribution. Pain, induced by treatment generally was underrated. For unpredictable severe pain may occur, one might consider to review the treatment goals critically after the patient's own experience with orthodontic treatment.