Comparative Assessment of Patient’s Acceptability between Hawley and Vacuum-Formed Retainer in Patients Treated with Fixed Orthodontics Appliance

Abstract

Objective: To compare the acceptability of Vacuum-formed Retainers and Hawley Retainers in two groups of fixed orthodontics patients over three months.

Study Design: Quasi-experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan 2019 to Mar 2020.

Methodology: Eighty-two Patients treated with fixed orthodontics appliances in the department of orthodontics of Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited for the study. Patient acceptance was evaluated through a ten-question questionnaire regarding biting, fitting, hygiene, speech, swallowing, appearance, selfconfidence, gingival irritation, durability and comfort. Patients were evaluated on a 10cm long Visual analogue scale over three months in the post-orthodontics retention phase, after one week (T1), one month (T2) and three months (T3) of follow-up.

Results: The vacuumed-formed retainer was significantly better in terms of speech (p<0.01), appearance (p<0.001), durability (p<0.001), gingival irritation (p<0.001), swallowing (p<0.001), self-confidence, and comfort (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in terms of fitting, hygiene and biting.

Conclusion: The vacuumed-formed retainer was significantly better accepted in terms of speech, swallowing, appearance, self confidence, durability, gingival irritation and comfort.