Patient and Parent Orthodontic Treatment Expectations in a University-Clinic

Objectives: To assess and compare orthodontic treatment (OT) expectations between patients and parents at the University of Rochester (UoR) Orthodontic-Clinic.
Methods: Sample size estimation was based on power-analysis. Patients (10 to 15-year-old) (n=70) and one of their parents (n=70) were asked to complete a psychometrically-validated questionnaire (10 questions) before the orthodontic screening at the UoR Orthodontic-Clinic. Eight of the questions used a visual analogue scale response code ranging from 0 (“extremely unlikely”) to 100 (“extremely likely”); and 2 questions used categorical response codes. These questions measured OT expectations in regard to the initial appointment, type of treatment, expected experiences during OT, treatment duration, frequency of visits, and treatment benefits. The patients and parents volunterely completed the questionnaire in the clinic and waiting room, respectively; after providing written informed consent. This study was approved by an Insitutional Review Board (RSRB00071034). A paired t test (for continuous responses) and Fisher’s exact test (for categorical responses) were used to compare patients’ and parents’ responses. Intra- and inter-examiner reliabilities were assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC); and 10 participants completed the questionnaire twice (1-hour-apart) to test reproducibility in their responses.
Results: Intra- and inter-observer reliabilities, and reproducibility in participants' responses were high (CCC>0.999). The mean±sd age of the patients was 12.49±1.49 years; and there was an equal number of males and females.The mean±sd age of the parents was 39.49±8.76 years; and there were more females (n=57) than males (n=13). Patients expected less to have a check-up and diagnosis (P=0.0016), discussion about treatment (P=0.0006), and radiographs taken (P=0.0303) at the initial visit than parents. Patients expected more dietary restrictions during OT than parents (P=0.0001). Parents more so than patients, expected OT to produce a better smile (P=0.0056) and provide confidence socially (P=0.002).
Conclusions: The OT expectations differ significantly between patients and their parents at the UoR Orthodontic-Clinic.