A 10-Year Trend Analysis of Patients Seeking Orthodontic Treatment at A Dental Hospital in Thailand

Abstract

Background: The trends of patients seeking orthodontic treatment vary in many studies. However, no study has reported a long-term trend analysis of orthodontic patients in Thailand.
Objective: To date, there has been no information regarding the trend of age group patients seeking orthodontic treatment in Thailand. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in the proportion of various aged-group patients seeking orthodontic treatment at the …….. from 2008 to 2018.
Methods: This single-center retrospective study consisted of 5,775 patients who presented at the hospital for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment from 2008 to 2018. The analyzed data were the number, gender, and age groups of the patients. A time series analysis was used for any significant trends in the number of patients regarding gender and age group over the 10-year study period.
Results: The results were statistically significant in female patients (p = 0.000), children <12 years old (p = 0.009), and young adults aged 19-35 years (p = 0.000) in a quadratic time series analysis. An increasing trend was found in children <12 years old. On the other hand, female and young adult patients demonstrated a decreasing trend.
Conclusion: “Female” and “young adult” patients were the major groups of patients seeking orthodontic treatment. However, a time series model revealed decreasing trends in “female” and “young adult” patients, while “children <12 years old” demonstrated an increasing trend over the 10-year study period.