Influence of Cyberchondria on Orthodontics – A Questionnaire based study

Abstract

Objective: To identify how the use of internet by patients has influenced the way of imparting Orthodontic treatment and how the Orthodontist themselves make use of the Internet for their own development. Materials and Methods: A survey spanning over a period of 3 months was conducted among 100 Orthodontists and Orthodontic postgraduate students enrolled in Orthodontics 3 years residency program. Data was collected via a questionnaire, sent to Orthodontists and post graduate students through mail. Results: About one half of the orthodontists experienced positive change in attitude of patients seeking information from internet and felt that it is beneficial for continued success of their patients but majority of Orthodontists believed that patient can be misled by internet and it may at times lead to unrealistic patient expectations and dissatisfaction. Conclusions: This study suggests that the impact of the Internet on orthodontics is overall on the negative side, but there is still a long way to go before its potential benefits can be realised. Keywords: Cyberchondria, Orthodontics, Influence