Table 1.

Visual analogue scale (VAS) for the evaluation of patient satisfaction.

Instructions to the patient: please tell us about your experience with your fixed retainers (that is the thin pieces of wires glued to the back of your front teeth). There are five questions relating to how comfortable you find your retainers and how they affect your daily life. The left side represents 0 = complete satisfaction/comfort and the right side represents 100 = complete discomfort/unsatisfaction.
1	How comfortable is it to wear your fixed retainers compared to braces?
2	How comfortable is it to clean your teeth together with your fixed retainers?
3	How comfortable is it to remove trapped food between your teeth and your fixed retainers?
4	How comfortable is it to talk?
5	How comfortable is it to eat?