Patients' needs, expectations & concerns regarding clear aligner treatment

Patients aiming for clear aligner therapy (CAT) have a distinct expectation regarding their orthodontic treatment. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to increase our knowledge on these specific patients' needs, expectations, and concerns regarding CAT.

Patients, who were about to start CAT, were asked to answer both, a 32-item questionnaire addressing expectations regarding CAT, rated on a 10-point visual analogue scale, and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. In addition, demographic and clinical data were collected.

A total of 82 patients participated (mean age 35 ± 12 years; 74.4% female). Patients strongly expected CAT to treat their malocclusion as effectively as orthodontic brackets (9.5 ± 0.9 points) and they would seek a second opinion if they were told treatment with CAT would not be possible (7.2 ± 3.3 points). In addition, patients appeared not willing to compromise on the planned treatment outcome, even if it would decrease treatment time (2.1 ± 2.3 points) or costs (2.4 ± 2.5 points). Further, they highly expected that the treatment result would endure for their lifetime (8.8 ± 2.1 points), they wanted to avoid visibility of orthodontic brackets (7.9 ± 2.8 points), prevent potential future problems (9.1 ± 1.5 points), and see a simulation of the expected treatment outcome (7.5 ± 2.9 points). The most important limitations with CAT expected by the participants were pain during treatment (7.7 ± 2.7 points) and restricted eating and drinking habits (7.3 ± 2.8 points).

Patients considering CAT exhibit high expectations, particularly regarding treatment outcomes, aesthetics, and efficiency and they appear not willing to accept any compromise due to choosing CAT.

Knowledge about these expectations can support our patient communication and thereby improve patients' satisfaction with the treatment outcome.