Authors : Sangeetha morekonda gnaneswara, Hemavarshini shanmugalingham, Harini santhanagopal, Fathima sofiya thameem, Divyasekari sathiarajan, Ravi kannan
DOI : 10.18231/j.jco.2020.026
Volume : 4
Issue : 3
Year : 2020
Page No : 40-44
Introduction:The relationship between physical appearance and perception of an aesthetic deviation forms a basic criterion for people to seek a solution. In Dentistry, Patient’s desire to enhance their facial beauty is one of the most common driving factors to undergo orthodontic treatments. Having a clear understanding of patient's attitudes, need and perceptions towards orthodontic treatment , will help in better treatment planning and delivery. Aim: To evaluate Awareness, attitude, and perception of dental undergraduate students towards orthodontic treatment. Materials and Methods: 316 undergraduate students from four different dental colleges of Tamilnadu participated in a questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted through Google forms. Frequency distribution was generated for all variables.Categorical variables were evaluated using a Chi-square test for statistical difference between the gender. Results: 74.6% of the participants felt that their self-esteem will improve if they have good alignment and 87.6 % of people thought orthodontic treatment will make their smile look better. 71.4% of males agreed for treatment when advised, while only 50% of females agreed for the same.15% of males thought that their teeth affect 100% of facial appearance. Statistically, a significant difference was observed with respect to the preference of metal and ceramic brackets between males and females. Males preferred metal brackets over ceramic brackets while females preferred ceramic over metal brackets. Conclusion: The study showed that dental undergraduates had fair knowledge and a positive attitude towards orthodontic treatment. Gender difference exists in preferences for the type of orthodontic treatment.
Keywords: Awareness, attitude, perception, orthodontic treatment, dental students.