Psychological impact and perceptions of orthodontic treatment of adult patients with different motivations

Introduction: Motivations, perceptions, and psychosocial states of adult patients with orthodontic disorders in China have not been widely studied. The study assessed the psychosocial states and perceptions of adult patients undergoing orthodontic treatments with different motivations. Methods: Two hundred forty-three adult patients (mean age, 30.2 +/- 6 7.4 years; women, 79.0%) undergoing orthodontic treatment were recruited from a tertiary stomatology hospital. The patients answered a patient-centered questionnaire regarding motivations and perceptions of orthodontic treatment and the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test on the basis of multiple responses. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the association between motivation factors and the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire subscale scores (P <0.05). Results: Patients with various motivations were as follows: occlusal function reason (70.4%), dental esthetic reason (54.7%), facial esthetic reason (24.3%), and following others' suggestions (18.5%). Patients with esthetic or occlusal motivations exhibited significantly greater need and interest for orthodontic treatment (P <0.001). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the scores of social impact, psychological impact, and esthetic concern subscales were significantly associated with both dental and facial esthetic motivations (P <0.001). Conclusions: The primary motivations of Chinese patients were observed to be improved esthetics and occlusal function. Patients with esthetic or occlusal motivations exhibited significantly greater need and interest in treatment. Patients with facial or dental esthetic motivations experienced greater impacts of psychosocial states. Therefore, the patient motivations and impacts of esthetic-related psychosocial states on them should be considered during treatment.