Table 3.
Comparison of factors influencing adults’ and children’s parents’ choice of current orthodontic treatment
| Question | Answers (Can choose more than one answer) | Total (n=417) n (%) | Adults (n=331) n (%) | Children’s Parents (n=86) n (%) | P † |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What were your sources of information about orthodontic treatment choices? | Orthodontist | 219 (52.5) | 166 (50.2) | 53 (61.6) | 0.058 |
| General dentist/pediatric dentist | 111 (26.6) | 75 (22.7) | 36 (41.9) | <0.001* | |
| Family or friends | 151 (36.2) | 136 (41.1) | 15 (17.4) | <0.001* | |
| Medical/dental websites | 83 (19.9) | 74 (22.4) | 9 (10.5) | 0.014* | |
| Social media | 31 (7.4) | 28 (8.5) | 3 (3.5) | 0.165 | |
| Books | 7 (1.7) | 7 (2.1) | 0 | 0.353 | |
| Others | 14 (3.4) | 11 (3.3) | 3 (3.5) | 1.00 | |
| What were the barriers before starting orthodontic treatment? | Availability of orthodontist | 239 (57.3) | 194 (58.6) | 45 (52.3) | 0.294 |
| Cost | 182 (43.6) | 146 (44.1) | 36 (41.9) | 0.708 | |
| Duration of treatment | 89 (21.3) | 67 (20.2) | 22 (25.6) | 0.282 | |
| Orthodontic treatment is not covered by insurance | 57 (13.7) | 42 (12.7) | 15 (17.4) | 0.253 | |
| Transportation | 46 (11.0) | 37 (11.2) | 9 (10.5) | 0.851 | |
| Others | 57 (13.7) | 48 (14.5) | 9 (10.5) | 0.332 | |
| What encouraged you to choose your current orthodontist? | Orthodontist reputation | 224 (53.7) | 168 (50.8) | 56 (65.1) | 0.017* |
| Orthodontist experience | 217 (52.0) | 170 (51.4) | 47 (54.7) | 0.586 | |
| Affordability of the treatment cost | 128 (30.7) | 100 (30.2) | 28 (32.6) | 0.674 | |
| The location | 97 (23.3) | 79 (23.9) | 18 (20.9) | 0.566 | |
| Others | 5 (1.2) | 5 (1.5) | 0 | 0.588 |
†Chi-square test *Statistically significant (P<0.05)