Patient-centered factors associated with orthodontic treatment success: a scoping review

The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the available literature on pretreatment factors, from a patient-centered perspective, that predict successful orthodontic treatment. Systematic and unrestricted searches were conducted across the electronic MEDLINE, Embase, Web-of-Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and LILACS/Bireme databases. Grey literature was also searched to identify potential studies. Qualitative assessments of the role of patient-centered pretreatment factors in orthodontic treatment success (adherence, satisfaction, and discontinuation rates) were evaluated and synthesized. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. A total of sixteen studies were included. Three main domains related to the patient emerged as positive predictors of orthodontic treatment success: previous patterns of social behavior, attitudes of parents/caregivers, and reasonable motivation. Certain personality traits were associated with both positive and negative levels of adherence and treatment satisfaction. The evidence did not support the notion that the impact of malocclusion on aesthetic self-perception could serve as an indicator of cooperation, satisfaction, or discontinuation rates related to orthodontic treatment. Positive social behavior patterns and parental/caregiver attitudes, along with realistic prior motivation toward treatment goals, were found to be reliable predictors of orthodontic treatment success. Additionally, some personality traits were found to be associated with successful treatment outcomes. However, the evidence did not support the impact of malocclusion on self-perceived aesthetics as an indicator of compliance and satisfaction levels with orthodontic treatment.