title: Invisalign--patient profiling. Analysis of a prospective survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present prospective study was to produce a profile of those patients who are interested in treatment with the Invisalign system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Personal data and clinical findings of 89 patients attending the Invisalign consulting hours offered by the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Charité Medical School were recorded. Personal data included gender, age, profession, motivation for treatment, accepted treatment duration, and initial source of information; clinical findings included anomalies of tooth position and jaw relationship as well as oral hygiene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis of the data revealed a characteristic profile: Mainly women between 20 and 29 years of age were interested in Invisalign treatment, chiefly for esthetic reasons, accepting a treatment time of 1.5 to 2.5 years. The majority of patients rejected treatment with visible appliances. 41% had been initially informed of this new treatment system by their dentist or an orthodontist, and the same percentage through different media. The standard of oral hygiene was only moderate or low in 54% of all subjects. Frontal crowding was diagnosed in 87%, and a Class II malocclusion in 49%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The demand for orthodontic treatment mainly among women is substantial, but many of these potential patients baulk at the esthetic impairment induced by a fixed labial appliance or the speech disturbances induced by a lingual appliance. In order to increase the acceptance of new treatment methods, the high demands placed by those concerned on esthetic and phonetic aspects should therefore be respected. With respect to oral hygiene, many patients are still in urgent need of professional instruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. beate.meier@charite.de
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Kerstin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Wiemer
authors.forename: Rainer-Reginald
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Miethke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D009968:Orthodontic Appliances, Removable / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011140:Polyurethanes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes