TITLE:
Perception and Satisfaction of Patients Treated with Orthodontic Clear Aligners
AUTHORS:
Sanaa Alami, Soukaina Sahim, Fadwa Hilal, Amal Essamlali, Farid El Quars
KEYWORDS:
Orthodontics, Clear Aligners, Patients, Satisfaction, Perception
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.10,
October
11,
2022
ABSTRACT: Since their appearance, studies about aligners were focalized on the description, the operating mode, the biomechanics and the efficacity of this system. However, there aren’t many published articles about patient satisfaction. Our main goal was to evaluate the perception and satisfaction of patients treated by orthodontic aligners in the private sector of Casablanca in Morocco in order to shed light on the strong aspects and weaknesses of this type of treatment. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by interrogating 68 patients in exclusive orthodontic practices in Casablanca. 93.7% of patients were satisfied to very satisfied with the global duration of the treatment and 92.7% were satisfied to very satisfied with the time necessary to see the first results. 91.2% of patients were satisfied with the current results of the treatment. The main troubles caused by wearing aligners were: problems with pronunciation and speech (48.5%) and mucosal injuries (19.1%). 63.2% of the patients using aligners felt pain, and 4.4% took analgesics for it. With the growing interest in aesthetic appearance, clear aligners represent an alternative to conventional fixed orthodontic treatments. Patients who received treatment with aligners were generally satisfied. Nevertheless, there were some inconveniences following the wearing of aligners.