In Western countries, such as the United Kingdom, about 10-20% of adolescents undergo some form of orthodontic treatment.
A recent study by researchers at the School of Clinical Dentistry in Sheffield found that orthodontic treatment in young people can have a direct and measurable impact on the quality of life associated with oral health. (OHRQoL- Oral Health-Related Quality of Life).
Orthodontic treatment is associated with quality of life!
According to this study, OHRQoL levels of emotional and social well-being improved somewhat in orthodontic patients before the age of 18 years. The findings are relevant because, to date, there has been little evidence that treatment actually improves OHRQoL.
The researchers included data from more than a dozen studies that reported results before and after orthodontic treatment over the past ten years in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. . Four final studies were selected because they used similar questionnaires to measure what young people thought about their teeth and how the appearance of their teeth affected their lives before and after treatment.
All the studies showed a measurable and fairly large improvement in the areas of emotional and social well-being, according to the researchers.
The study was published in April in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
