METHODS: A questionnaire titled \"Questionnaire for the Assessment of Masticatory Function with Aligners\" was administered using Google Forms to 240 patients in treatment with clear aligners. The survey was validated through the reliability test using the test-retest method. This method had a higher correlation coefficient of 0.9 across all items (with a cutoff of 0.8) with statistical significance, and an excellent internal correlation coefficient (α > 0.9). The statistical analysis performed consisted of descriptive analysis, frequencies, percentages, Pearson\'s correlation test and Friedman\'s test.
RESULTS: Pearson\'s test showed a statistically significant correlation between all items except between meat or clams and yogurt or ice cream and with mozzarella or soft cheese regarding food chewing difficulties. Pearson\'s test showed a statistically significant correlation between all items regarding food residues. A total of 69.2% of the cohort reported some movements of aligners during mastication. In total, 88.3% of them affirmed not to have perceived deformations or breakage of aligners during chewing. Furthermore, 79.2% of them declared that they would continue to eat if eating with aligners was proven to speed up treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Wearing clear aligners while chewing foods such as yogurt, ice cream, soft cheese, bread, rice, etc., can be possible and can help shorten the duration of orthodontic treatment, benefiting both the patient and the orthodontist. However, further research using qualitative methods is needed to understand the barriers and facilitators to chewing food with aligners.
方法:使用Google表格对240名患者进行了名为“使用对齐器评估咀嚼功能的问卷”的问卷。通过可靠性测试,采用测试-重测方法对调查进行了验证。此方法在所有项目中具有较高的相关系数0.9(截止值为0.8),具有统计学意义。和良好的内部相关系数(α>0.9)。进行的统计分析包括描述性分析,频率,百分比,皮尔逊相关性检验和弗里德曼检验。
结果:Pearson检验显示,除了肉或clams与酸奶或冰淇淋之间以及与马苏里拉奶酪或软奶酪之间在食物咀嚼困难方面具有统计学上的显着相关性。皮尔逊检验显示,关于食物残渣的所有项目之间具有统计学上的显著相关性。共有69.2%的队列报告了咀嚼期间矫正器的一些运动。总的来说,88.3%的人确认在咀嚼过程中没有察觉到矫正器的变形或断裂。此外,79.2%的人表示,如果使用矫正器进食被证明可以加快治疗速度,他们将继续进食。
结论:咀嚼酸奶等食物时,穿着清晰的矫正器,冰淇淋,软奶酪,面包,大米,等。,可以帮助缩短正畸治疗的持续时间,对患者和正畸医生都有好处。然而,需要使用定性方法进行进一步研究,以了解使用对准剂咀嚼食物的障碍和促进因素。