Perceptions of Orthodontists on Bracket Dislodgement During Fixed Orthodontic Treatment (A Cross Sectional Study)

Abstract

Objectives: Bracket failure is one of the problems that happen during fixed orthodontic treatment, which slows treatment progression and is costly in time, material, and patient inconvenience. The present study aimed to assess orthodontic professionals' perceptions regarding bracket failure during fixed orthodontic treatment. 
 Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by distributing a self–administered questionnaire among orthodontic professionals. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested before study conduction. In total, 158 orthodontic professionals were approached across Iraq. The questionnaire included eight questions on practice, nine on perceptions, and three on awareness with regard to the prevention and management of bracket failure. Data were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc test. 
 Results: The majority of the participants either agreed (58.2%) or strongly agreed (27.8%) that instruction on appropriate food consumption is the best way to prevent bracket debonding. Years of experience were shown to have a statistically significant association with the rate of bracket failure and number of appointments per week for bracket rebonding, at p=0.01 and p=0.001, respectively. A postgraduate orthodontics degree was shown to have a statistically significant association with perception and awareness within the study population, at p= 0.0005 and p=0.01, respectively. 
 Conclusions: Orthodontic professionals regarded orthodontists as having the least responsibility for bracket failure. It is recommended to have special practice guidelines for the management of bracket failure.