Effects of wearing fixed orthodontic appliance on dynamic balance, reaction time, and pain perception in adolescents and young adult elite athletes

Objective: To investigate the effects of using fixed orthodontic appliance on dynamic balance, auditory/visual reaction times, as well as pain perception in adolescent and young adult elite athletes.Methods: A total of 34 elite athletes (n = 19 males) aged 16-21 years from different sports (track and field sprint, long jump and discus throw) were randomly allocated to treatment (n = 17) or control (n = 17) groups. The treatment group received self-ligating brackets with 0.04 cm super-elastic nickel-titanium arch wire, placed in the brackets to correct the teeth position. Perceived pain (i.e., visual analogue scale), dynamic balance (i.e., Y balance test), and auditory reaction time and visual reaction time using Direct RT software were assessed before (day(-1)), and on five occasions after fixed orthodontic appliance placement (day(+1), (+3), (+7), (+14), and (+30)). The two groups' quantitative data [expressed as mean (standard deviation)] for each occasion were compared using the Student's t-test. Comparisons of the Y-balance test, auditory reaction time, visual reaction time, and pain visual analogue scale data were each made between the 6 occasions via a factorial A x B analysis of variance in order to check for the possible interaction between the two groups and the (6) consecutive days (occasions).Results: Compared to the control group, the treatment group showed significantly (i) lower values of anterior reach for both the dominant ([78(4) vs. 75(3)%, respectively]) and the non-dominant [76(3) vs. 74(4)%, respectively] legs at day(+3), and (ii) higher values of pain visual analogue scale at day(+1), day(+3), and day(+7) [0.00(0.00) vs. 4.94(1.25); 0.00(0.00) vs. 4.12(1.17), and 0.00(0.00) vs. 0.41(0.51), respectively). Factorial analysis of variance revealed that only pain visual analogue scale values were different between the two groups at day(+1) and day(+3).Conclusion: FOA induced a high pain level during the first week following its placement in elite athletes.