Pain Management in Orthodontics

Abstract

Abstract Every patient faces one discomfort or the other during treatment. Pain and discomfort are the frequent side-effects of the orthodontic therapy with fixed appliances. Surveys have shown that pain is among the most cited negative effect of orthodontic treatment Orthodontic pain has been found to be dependent on some factors such as gender, age and pain threshold of a patients, force applied during treatment, emotional state of patient and cultural differences. A large percentage of Orthodontists underestimate the pain of their patients in connection to orthodontic treatment and many are also not awarc that their patients self-medicate with nonprescription pain rcl icvcrs. Pain from orthodontic treatments have negative effects on oral hygiene efforts, adherence with appointments and patients overall satisfaction with orthodontic treatment outcomes. Patient's pain assessment is a recognized aspect of the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHROOL) assessment. Researchers have assessed general OHRQOL in connection with orthodontic treatment outcomes. However, research on orthodontic patients' quality of life during their treatment is scarce. This review will therefore highlight factors that cause orthodontic pain and the management.