Treatment motivation, psychosocial impact, and perfectionism in children and adult orthodontic patients: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

With a shift in orthodontics from a more traditional biomedical model toward a more biopsychosocial model, orthodontists must understand their patients’ psychological condition. This study aimed to investigate treatment motivation, psychosocial impact from malocclusion, and perfectionism in children and adult orthodontic patients and to examine the relationships among these various factors.

Methods

A total of 193 participants (114 children and 79 adults) were included. All participants completed a treatment motivation questionnaire, Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ), Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS), and self-perceived Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Malocclusion severity was assessed using the Dental Health Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need by 1 orthodontist.

Results

Statistically significant differences were found between children and adults regarding motivation concerning function, PIDAQ total, as well as subscores except for dental self-confidence (P <0.01) and subscores of FMPS, such as concerns over mistakes and parental expectations (P <0.05). The multiple regression analysis demonstrated a direct relationship between PIDAQ and age, gender, total FMPS, self-perceived Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need, and motivation (P <0.01).

Conclusions

Adults anticipate greater improvement in oral function and experience greater negative psychosocial impact from malocclusion compared with children. Orthodontic patients with higher age, being female, high level of perfectionism, or negative self-perception of dental esthetics are associated with greater negative psychosocial impact from malocclusion. In addition, patients experiencing a greater negative psychosocial impact tend to have a strong motivation for orthodontic treatment.