title: Expectations of treatment and satisfaction with facial appearance in Nigerian orthodontic patients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate correlation between satisfaction with facial appearance and expectations of orthodontic treatment. The effects of sex and age on these variables were also explored. A sample of 201 patients who presented for orthodontic treatment at two referral centers in Nigeria: the Orthodontic Unit, University College Hospital, Ibadan and Department of Child Dental Health, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, completed a questionnaire on satisfaction with facial appearance and expectations of orthodontic treatment. They consisted of 89 (44.3%) males and 112 (55.7%) females with age range of 8 to 40 years (mean age, 13.60 +/- 8.03 SD). Correlation between patients' expectations, satisfaction with facial appearance, age and sex were examined. A multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the effect of the initial facial satisfaction on expectations of orthodontic treatment. No significant correlation was found between satisfaction with facial appearance and patients' expectations. The correlation was invariant over gender, but age was found a significant predictor of expectations of orthodontic treatment for patients up to 16 years of age (r = .210; p < 0.05). It was concluded that satisfaction with facial appearance is not a significant predictor of Nigerian orthodontic patients' expectations of treatment. However, age was found a significant predictor of orthodontic patients' expectations of treat-ment for the child orthodontic population sub-sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Dentistry, College of Medicine/University College Hospital, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Onyeaso
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Utomi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004955:Esthetics, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors