Background: Pain management and quality of life assessment are crucial considerations in orthodontic treatment planning. Self-ligating brackets have been proposed as an alternative to conventional brackets with potential benefits in patient comfort and treatment outcomes.
Objective: To compare pain perception levels and quality of life parameters between patients undergoing self-ligating versus conventional orthodontic treatment during the initial phases of therapy.
Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted with 120 patients (aged 12-25 years) requiring comprehensive orthodontic treatment. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups: Group A (n=60) received self-ligating brackets, and Group B (n=60) received conventional brackets. Pain perception was evaluated using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 2 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, and 7 days post-activation. Quality of life was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months.
Results: Self-ligating bracket patients demonstrated significantly lower pain scores at all time intervals compared to conventional bracket patients (p<0.05). Mean VAS scores at 24 hours were 3.2±1.4 for self-ligating versus 5.8±2.1 for conventional brackets. Quality of life improvements were more pronounced in the self-ligating group, with OHIP-14 scores showing greater reduction in functional limitations and physical discomfort domains.
Conclusion: Self-ligating orthodontic systems provide superior patient comfort with reduced pain perception and enhanced quality of life compared to conventional brackets during initial treatment phases.