A Comparison of Patients’ and Orthodontists’ Preferences for Pain Management During Orthodontic Treatment

Objectives: Pain is an undesirable side effect often associated with orthodontic therapy. The objective of this study was to measure patients’ perceived pain levels during orthodontic treatment, including how they manage pain, and compare their responses to those of practicing orthodontists.
Methods: Orthodontists and patients were asked to complete corresponding surveys assessing anticipated pain during orthodontic treatment, and methods used to treat it. The resulting data were analyzed using chi-square and t-tests to determine if patients and orthodontists had different perceptions of pain and treatment strategies for pain.
Results: There were discrepancies between patients’ experiences and orthodontists’ expectations: 59% of orthodontists expected their patients to experience pain 24 hours after an appointment, but 22% of patients reported never experiencing pain (P<.0001). 84% of orthodontists reported that they recommend post-procedure over-the-counter medications, but only 33% of patients utilized this strategy. Specifically, 48% of orthodontists said they recommended their patients take ibuprofen to treat orthodontic pain. However, 54% of patients reported that their orthodontist did not make any specific recommendations at all. The majority of patients reported that they would be willing to try bite wafers (73%) and topical analgesic gel (80%) as alternative therapies for pain management. Orthodontists, however, were less likely to recommend these alternative therapies.
Conclusions: From this study, we concluded that there is a difference of opinion regarding the amount, timing, and treatment of pain between patients and orthodontists, and that improved communications between patients and orthodontists would be beneficial.