Objective:
To investigate the correlates of adherence and the effectiveness of interventions to enhance adherence among orthodontic patients.
Method:
Systematic review. Electronic searches of Medline via OVID (1966- March 2012), EMBASE and the Cochrane central register of control trials from its inception to March 2012, as well as a Hand Search were undertaken to identify relevant studies.
Result:
A total of 381 articles were identified through the electronic searches. Initial screening of the abstracts and titles by all review authors identified 21 articles which related to compliance in orthodontics. The full articles were then retrieved. A single observational study and four randomised controlled trials were included.
Conclusion:
The literature advocates the use of several methods to improve patients compliance/adherence among orthodontic patients. A more practical methods to improve patients’ adherence needs to be studied, with different types of interventions to be included and tested for effectiveness.