An Evaluation of Oral Health-Related Quality Of Life in Orthodontic Patients Treated with Fixed and Twin Blocks Removable Appliances: Part 1

World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948, defined health as “a complete state of physical, mental, social wellbeing and not just the absence of the disease”. This underscores the importance of quality of life defined as patients’ “perceptions of their position in life in the context of culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns” [1]. A person’s quality of life (QoL) can be affected with poor oral health [2]. Measurement of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) helps professionals clarify the role of oral health status on the overall quality of life [3]. It also assists in clinical decisions taking into account patients’ needs and serves as an effective communication mechanism with policy makers [4,5]. Consequently modern healthcare systems should address patient’s health complaints, taking into consideration the impact of patients’ illness on quality of life [6]. Modern dental procedures Endeavour to improve patients’ quality of life. Orthodontic treatment based on purely clinical and functional perceptions may not fully address patients’ concerns. Patients and their parents have been shown to share similar treatment expectations, although parents reported more realistic prospects. Ethnicity significantly influences expectations for orthodontic treatment, and this may relate to differences in the patients’ and parents’ assessment of the clinical outcome [7]. Although improvement of QoL is considered to be the major goal of orthodontic treatment, it is established that, to obtain enhancement in QoL, patients must go through some treatment-related undesirable side effects when using orthodontics appliances [8]. Malocclusion is the most common oral disorder which can cause negative impacts on social life and self-confidence and may be greatly associated with negative psychological connotations [9]. Studies reported that initially OHRQoL worsened during treatment; however a considerable improvement was observed afterwards [10-12]. The aims of this prospective study were to assess the impact of two orthodontic treatment modalities, Fixedand Twin block removableappliances on patients’ quality of life.