An orthodontic patient expects?

Abstract

Data sources

Pubmed, Cochrane, Web of Science and PsychINFO databases.

Study selection

Experimental studies (randomised or not, prospective, retrospective and cross sectional) with qualitative and/or quantitative analysis investigating patients' expectations of orthodontic treatment were considered. Only English language studies were included.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two reviewers screened the studies with a single reviewer abstracting the data. Study quality was assessed by two reviewers using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) criteria. Because of heterogeneity of the study designs a narrative summary was presented.

Results

Fourteen papers reporting 13 studies were included. There was one RCT, one cohort study, two questionnaire-developments and ten cross-sectional studies. Seven studies summarising expectations with regards to the treatment process, experience and impact on quality of life, and six studies summarising expectations with regards to the treatment outcome and benefits were discussed.

Conclusions

Orthodontics appears to have adopted various standardised questionnaires. However, most of them are poor in the quality of methodology and results analysis, which prohibits synthesising sufficient evidence to help identify which factors influence patient expectations. The evidence of ‘expectations’ affecting treatment outcomes is not found in current research. Future studies are needed to better understand the impact of ‘expectation’ on the treatment both theoretically and experimentally.

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