Patient/parent expectations of orthodontic treatment.

BACKGROUND: Expectations of orthodontic treatment may differ between the patient and their parents, as the parents' expectations may not reflect those of the child.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the expectations of patients and their parents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a clinic-based, comparative, cross-sectional study involving 110 patients aged between 10 and 19 years, as well as their accompanying parents or guardians. The expectations of both patients and parents were determined using a questionnaire developed by Sayers and Newton.

RESULTS: Results showed that the expectations of the patients and parents differed significantly in a number of areas with the parents' expectations often exceeding those of the patients. Both patients and parents were found to be ignorant about some aspects of orthodontic treatment, with 47.3% of patients and 39.1% of parents unaware of the duration of orthodontic treatment and, as such, requiring information from their clinicians.

CONCLUSION: The results highlight the importance of patient education and counseling as well as the need to focus on the individual patient and not assume that their expectations mirror those of the accompanying parent.