Causes of Orthodontic Pain &amp; its treatment: an overview

L Nahar,Ma Naim,Mi Hasan,R Ghosh,S Naznin,T Nasrin

doi:10.3329/updcj.v6i1.29220

Abstract

Orthodontic pain, the most cited negative effect arising as a result of orthodontic force application, is a major matter of distress for clinicians and patients/parents and directly influences their compliance during the treatment. The lengthy duration of treatment along with frequent pain due to the orthodontic appliances often leads to patient burn out and has been associated with discontinuation of orthodontic treatment. It is imperative for the clinicians to identify and manage the pain experienced by their patients. It becomes duty of an orthodontist to satisfy the questions arising in the mind of patients, parents and clinicians. Various modalities for the management of orthodontic pain have been proposed over the years. The purpose of this review article is to throw a light on the various possible causes of orthodontic pain and to discuss the various management options for the orthodontic pain.Update Dent. Coll. j: 2016; 6 (1): 43-51

Highlights

Pain, which is a subjective feeling that shows large individual fluctuations, is one of the major deterrents for patient compliance for orthodontic treatment[1,2]
Surveys of orthodontic patients have revealed that pain is among the most cited negative effect of orthodontic therapy and even when compared with the pain of invasive procedures such as extractions, patients perceived orthodontic pain to be greater in both incidence and severity[3].Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment experience varying degrees of discomfort which may be as a result of tension, functional restrictions or psychological aversion to wear the appliance in the public
It is important to know that psychological pain associated with orthodontic treatment can be reduced by proper explanation and counseling where as real pain experienced by patients can be reduced by administering analgesics before major orthodontic procedures like separator placement, banding, as well as arch wire placement

Summary

Introduction

Pain, which is a subjective feeling that shows large individual fluctuations, is one of the major deterrents for patient compliance for orthodontic treatment[1,2]. Conducted a study to evaluate the effect of elastomeric separators on pain experienced by patients and concluded that pain associated with orthodontic separation starts and peaks within 4–48 h from the placement of separators and starts to decline to reach the lowest level on 5th day[14].Most of the orthodontic patients routinely report pain, due to alterations in the periodontal ligament and surrounding soft tissues, with intensity and prevalence varying according to age. Compared the discomfort caused by the initial placement of superelasticNiti wires and conventional Niti wires They found greater pain experience among patients as a result of nitinol wires[16]. Insertion of temporary anchorage devices The study was conducted by Chen et al to evaluate the pain experienced by the patients during placement of interdental implants and was compared to the baseline value of discomfort during premolar extractions They concluded that the placement of interdental implants did not cause pain greater than that during traditional orthodontic treatment[24]

Findings

DISCUSSION

Conclusion