Evaluation of orthodontic retention protocol among general dentist: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: The current survey was conducted to explore the retention protocol, complication regarding retainers, and long-term follow-up regarding orthodontic retention among the general dentist in Tamil Nadu. Materials and Method: This was a cross-sectional web-based questionnaire survey conducted among general dentists in Tamil Nadu. The pilot study was conducted to estimate the sample size and the final sample size arrived was 500 participants. The predesigned and validated, self-administered, structured 10 questions related to retention protocol, complication regarding retainers, and long-term follow-up regarding orthodontic retention. The statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS (V 22.0) The frequency distribution was computed. Result: The current survey revealed that 500 (100%) respondents had awareness about the retention protocol after orthodontic treatment. Out of all the respondents 33 (6.6%) chose for a removable retainer, 367 (73.4%) chose a fixed retainer,84 (16.8%) opted for an invisible retainer and the remaining practitioner chose a combination of removable and fixed retainer. Nearly 452 (90.4%) general practitioners advised their patients to contact their orthodontist in case of a broken retainer and the remaining 48(9.6%) general practitioners can make retainers by themselves. Out of all the respondents, nearly 54.6% general dentists gradually taking over the case during monitoring and follow-up phase. Conclusion: In conclusion, the current study showed that a vast majority of the dentists were aware of the retention protocol and they are confident enough to deal emergency situation like broken retainers and most of the dentist prefer fixed retainer over other types of retainer.