Orthodontic treatment effect on the oral health-related quality of life, oral function, and facial aesthetics in a group of Swedish adolescents, a longitudinal study

Abstract

Background: Malocclusion is one of the most prevalent oral conditions that negatively impact patients' physiological and psychological well-being. This longitudinal research aims to investigate how orthodontic treatment affects OHRQoL in a Swedish cohort of adolescents. Material and methods: Sixty-nine patients with different malocclusions who have had orthodontic treatment at Karolinska Institutet, aged 13 to 19, participated in this study. The patients answered OHRQoL questionaries at three different times: Before starting orthodontic treatment, during, and after finishing orthodontic treatment. The questionnaire consisted of three components: Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), Jaw Functional Limitation Scale-20 (JFLS-20), and Orofacial Aesthetic Scale (OES). The data were statistically analyzed using the R software package. Friedman test assessed if answers differed significantly before, during, and after treatment. Multiple pairwise tests were used to identify which time points were different. Repeated ANOVA of mean was used in sum scores over time. Results: Significant change in mean values of aesthetic sum scores of all malocclusions at three time points; baseline to during (p-value 0.02), during to after (p-value 0.01), and from baseline to after treatment (p-value 0.00). For OHIP-psychosocial impact domain, significant improvement was found when a combination of all groups was tested from baseline to after treatment. For separate questions, the following questions was significantly decreased in time point before to after treatment: OHIP_10: “Been embarrassed”, Est_03: “Your mouth’s appearance (smile, lips, visible teeth)”, Est_04: “Appearance of your rows of teeth”, Est_05: “Shape/form of your teeth”, Est_08: “Overall, how do you feel about your face, mouth, and teeth” (p-value 0.00). Est_06: “Colour of your teeth” (p-value 0.02). Conclusion: Orthodontic treatment has a positive effect on OHRQoL in Swedish adolescents, especially in the aesthetic and psychosocial domain.