March 2008

Objective: To determine patients’ and parents’/ guardians’ motivation for orthodontic treatment. Basic Research Design: A self- completion postal questionnaire survey of new patients referred for orthodontic assessment. Clinical Setting: Kent and Canterbury Hospital (January 2003- January 2004). Participants: Five hundred patients referred from general dental practice and community dental service within East Kent. Results: Response rate was 66%. Fifty percent of the patients were between 11 and 13 years old. In 81% of cases referral was initiated by the dentist. Most of the patients (87%) were concerned with the appearance of their teeth, 38% reported teasing related to their dental appearance. Only 20% of patients thought there was nothing wrong with their teeth. Conclusions: The patients’ general dental practitioner initiated referral for orthodontic treatment in the majority of the cases. Most patients and parents appeared to be highly motivated and accepting of appliances for orthodontic treatment. Teasing was a commonly reported consequence of malocclusion with negative psychosocial impact. Key words: Motivation, orthodontic treatment, patients, parents