Being different during treatment: a qualitative study investigating patients' experiences of treatments for missing maxillary lateral incisors.

Abstract

Agenesis of one or more teeth is common among patients who are referred for orthodontic treatment. The most common treatments are orthodontic space closure (SC) and implant replacement (IR), which are widely studied, but the experiences of patients receiving these treatments have received little attention. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore how treatments to address missing maxillary lateral incisors (MMLIs) are experienced by individuals who are treated using either orthodontic SC or IR. This study is conducted in Sweden and based on semi-structured interviews with 13 individuals who have completed treatment, either orthodontic SC (n = 7) or IR (n = 6), to address the lack of one or two maxillary lateral incisors. Data were analysed in accordance with the grounded theory approach. Findings were classified into the main category of being different during treatment and into three associated sub-categories. The first category, that is being different due to missing teeth, refers to when a person experiences being different because of the anterior spacing The second category, that is being different due to fixed appliance, refers to when the appliance itself makes a person different. The two first categories exemplify being different in terms of appearance. The third identified category, that is being different due to treatment appointments, refers to the need to spend time differently because of having appointments at the clinic for treatment. Patients MMLIs consider their treatment to start at the time of diagnosis. They experience feelings of being different irrespective of whether the type of treatment is orthodontic SC or IR. The experience of being different differs in timing and causes depending on the treatment method.