The impact on quality of life in patients during different stages of orthodontic treatment with braces

Relevance of the problem and aim of the work. Dental and occlusal anomalies are quite common problems in today's society, one of the main solutions of which is orthodontic treatment. Quite often, the treatment of these disorders is treatment with a brace system consisting of three different stages. Fixed orthodontic appliances (braces), due to the awkward construction, constant presence in the oral cavity, can affect the physical, social and psychological condition of the patient. This is why the aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of patients treated with braces during different stages of orthodontic treatment. Material and methods. The study included 321 individuals who met the selection criteria. Subjects were divided into male and female groups. Respondents answered the questions of the anonymous questionnaire, which assessed the patient's quality of life in different stages of the orthodontic treatment with braces system, choosing one of the three possible answer options. Results. The study found that the vast majority (83%) of patients experienced toothache during different treatment stages, which affected their quality of life. Throughout periods of orthodontic treatment, patients experienced psychological or physical discomfort, particularly when chewing food and saying certain words. In most cases, a statistically significant association was found between traits assessing quality of life at different treatment stages and the patient's gender (e.g., in the third period, women had more difficulty chewing than men (p=0,003), in the second period, women were more likely to experience sleep disorders than men (p=0,002), etc.). Conclusions. It was found that patients' quality of life varied during treatment stages, with the first period of orthodontic treatment generally having a poorer quality of life than the completion phase, and women experiencing greater difficulties and limitations during the treatment with braces system