Oral Impacts Experienced by Orthodontic Patients Undergoing Fixed or Removable Appliances Therapy in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mohammad Abdul Baseer,1 Nawaf Abdulaziz Almayah,2 Khalid Mirae Alqahtani,2 Marwan Ibrahim Alshaye,2 Meshari Mohammed Aldhahri2 1Department of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Mohammad Abdul BaseerDepartment of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, Post Box No 84891, Riyadh, 11681, Saudi ArabiaEmail ma_baseer@riyadh.edu.saPurpose: The objective of this study is to compare the orthodontic patient’s experiences with removable and fixed orthodontic appliances on daily activities, food consumption, and oral symptoms in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia.Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study carried out among orthodontic patients. A total of 150 adult patients, including 118 in the fixed orthodontic appliance group and 32 in the removable (Invisalign) orthodontic group, who met the inclusion criteria completed a validated and self-administered questionnaire. In addition, the study participants reported their experience in terms of daily routine, food consumption, and oral symptoms one week after appliance activation. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact tests for the categorical variables. In addition, Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis, and Spearman’s tests were also applied to the data.Results: The fixed orthodontic patients compared to the removable orthodontic cases showed significantly higher difficulty in sleeping (1.28± 1.10 vs 0.94± 0.88, p=0.024), sores on the tongue (0.97± 1.00 vs 0.56± 0.76, p=0.042) and cheeks (1.20± 1.11 vs 0.72± 0.81, p=0.027), and the presence of food debris under the appliance (1.53± 1.16 vs.1.00± 0.95, p=0.021). Moreover, the oral health impact score showed a significant positive correlation with the duration of the orthodontic treatment (r=0.339, p< 0.001) and pain intensity (r=0.309, p< 0.001).Conclusion: The fixed orthodontic treatment compared to removable orthodontic treatment resulted in more severe pain, sleeping difficulty, sores on the tongue and cheeks, and food impaction after one week of appliance activation.Keywords: removable appliance, orthodontic treatment, fixed appliance, Invisalign, oral impacts, oral health-related quality of life, OHRQoL