title: Patients' and parents' expectations of orthodontic treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expectations of children and their primary care-givers towards orthodontic treatment and to compare the results with those of a UK sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey of children and their primary care-givers attending for their first consultation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Department of Orthodontics at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 168 subjects (84 patients and 84 parents) completed the questionnaire. The children were aged 10 to 14 years. The responses of the children and parents and differences between boys and girls were examined using parametric statistical methods. The data from the Dutch sample were compared with a similar UK sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients and parents shared similar expectations of orthodontic treatment, with the exception of expectations of having a brace fitted at the first appointment, orthodontic treatment involving headgear, any problems with orthodontic treatment, duration of orthodontic treatment and concerning reactions from the public. Among the child participants, boys and girls only differed in their expectations of orthodontic treatment involving jaw surgery. Differences between Dutch and English participants were found regarding the first visit, type of orthodontic treatment, reactions from the public, and pain and problems with orthodontic treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since the expectations of patients and their parents differ on several aspects, effective communication between the orthodontist, patient and parent is considered to be essential. Our hypothesis that Dutch patients' and parents' expectations of orthodontic treatment differ from the expectations of English patients and parents was supported.
authors.affiliation: ACTA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. r.hiemstra@acta.nl
authors.forename: Renske
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hiemstra
authors.forename: Annemieke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoogstraten
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D005115:Extraoral Traction Appliances; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000523:psychology*; D009426:Netherlands; D009967:Orthodontic Appliances; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective; D056948:Orthognathic Surgical Procedures; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom