Knowledge, attitude and practice of patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: A questionnaire survey

Patient‘s perspective and cooperation on treatment procedure and service is very important to evaluate the management system and success of the orthodontic treatment. To assess knowledge, attitude and practice of Himachali patients towards fixed orthodontic treatment and to find the difference of perception between female and male patients. A structured questionnaire comprising of fifteen questions in three sections was used among 100 orthodontic patients attending the O.P.D. of the department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics at H.P. Govt. Dental College and Hospital. The knowledge, attitude and practice were assessed on the Likert scale. The data were rescored based on positive, neutral or negative perceptions and depicted for a level. The difference in gender wise perception was tested using Mann-Whitney U test: 94% of orthodontic patients possess good knowledge about ongoing orthodontic treatment; however about 79% of the patients are unaware about retainers. Half of the patients think that people wearing braces do not look good and experience long waiting time, One third of the patients feel time spent for the procedure is inadequate and 62% believe orthodontic treatment is expensive; still 78% are happy about treatment outcome. 80% of the patients brush and rinse more carefully, however 40% patients are careless about braces and 23% forget appointment dates. Orthodontic patients in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, possess good knowledge about orthodontic treatment; however lack adequate attitude and practice towards the treatment. The orthodontists should inform patients about importance of retainers in the success of orthodontic treatment. They should also see to the concern of the patients about waiting time, procedure duration and cost of the treatment.