Rate of mini-implant acceptance by patients undergoing orthodontic treatment – A preliminary study with questionnaires

Larissa Bustamante Capucho BRANDÃO, José Nelson MUCHA

Objectives: Nowadays, mini-implants are regarded as a cutting-edge achievement in orthodontics thanks to their ability to afford maximum anchorage with minimum patient compliance. Nevertheless, certain aspects of these temporary anchorage devices have not yet been adequately assessed, foremost among which are the psychological issues associated with their acceptance by patients during the course of orthodontic treatment. Materials and Method: Ten adult patients presenting with Class I malocclusion and biprotrusion were subjected to orthodontic treatment involving the insertion of four mini-implants in their dental arches, placed between upper and lower first molars and second bicuspids (a total of 40 mini-implants) and were asked to answer a questionnaire designed to assess to what extent the miniimplants were accepted as an integral part of treatment. Results: The answers were converted to percentages and indicated that the majority of patients readily accepted such procedure and were not only satisfied but would also recommended it to other patients (90%). And whereas 50% showed concern with the surgical procedures, the remaining 50% did not report any discomfort whatsoever. The average tolerance time as of mini-implant insertion was 3 days and most coped well with the mini-implants throughout the whole orthodontic treatment. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, it is safe to conclude that mini-implants, when used as orthodontic anchorage devices, were met with total acceptance by the majority of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. Studies involving larger samples are not necessary.

Keywords: Orthodontics. Mini-implants. Patient acceptance.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 06:15