Methods to evaluate compliance of patients with removable appliances—survey results

Abstract

Are removable appliances still being routinely used in orthodontic offices? Which methods do clinicians use to assess compliance with wear requirements, and how effective are these methods considered to be? A questionnaire inquiring about types of treatment, methods of assessing patient compliance with removable appliances, and the perceived effectiveness of these methods was mailed to a sample of 375 members of the German Orthodontic Society ("Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kieferorthopädie", DGKFO). The rate of returned questionnaires was 29%. Almost all respondents (99%) indicated that they used removable appliances and reported having a "relatively high" proportion of patients currently undergoing such treatment. The most widely used methods of compliance assessment were questioning patients and parents (96%) and examining clinical parameters associated with the dentition and the appliance's fit (95-100%). While these parameters were considered "highly effective", questioning the patients and parents was regarded as "less effective" despite its frequent application. Removable appliances continue to be a standard method of orthodontic treatment. While patient compliance with wear requirements is mainly assessed via indirect clinical methods, the effectiveness of these parameters remains unclear.