EC Paediatrics

Introduction: Oral Hygiene is notoriously relevant in the context of orthodontic treatment; however, oral health self-care is often considered inadequate.

Objective: The objectives of this study focus on the perception of the inner oral cavity in patients and seek the enabling of Self-care through the empowerment of their knowledge.

Materials and Methods: 25 subjects were asked to draw the interior of their oral cavity before (M1) and after (M2) going through orthodontic treatment. The percepts were then quoted using a content analysis grid of analytical categories and subcategories that was created especially for this study.

Results and Conclusion: The results are suggesting that there are differences in the level of investment with a diminution in the representations of the inner oral cavity after the wear of orthodontic appliance. In addition to this, the initial directive was seemed to not be fully perceived by the subjects as most of the patients represented the inner oral cavity as an Extra-Oral configuration followed with a Frontal View Smile.

Keywords: Mental Representation; Oral Cavity; Adolescents; Orthodontic Treatment; Health Education; Self-Perception

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