Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2026 Mar 17:S0889-5406(26)00032-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2025.12.012. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to quantitatively and systematically evaluate the association between parent-child relationship (PCR) and orthodontic compliance with clear aligners (CAs) among children and adolescents.
METHODS: Children and adolescents aged 6-18 years undergoing orthodontic treatment with CAs were included. Parents completed 3 sections of the questionnaire: the sociodemographic section, the previously established Child-Parent Relationship Scale, and the CA compliance section with 8 self-designed compliance indicators. Spearman correlation coefficients and binary logistic regression were used for comprehensive quantitative analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 124 questionnaires were included and analyzed. No significant differences in CA compliance were found across different sociodemographic characteristics (P >0.05). Among compliance indicators, appointment adherence (4.67 ± 0.70) and timely aligner change (4.42 ± 0.83) received the highest scores, whereas chewies usage scored the lowest (3.21 ± 1.14). Higher closeness and lower conflict demonstrated a statistically significant, but relatively weak correlation with a higher mean compliance score (P <0.01). Significantly more patients with high closeness and low conflict demonstrated better CA compliance, particularly in cleaning aligners and timely aligner change (P <0.05). Participants with high closeness were 2.2 times more likely to achieve better overall compliance, whereas those with high conflict were only 0.3 times as likely as those with low conflict.
CONCLUSIONS: High closeness and low conflict in PCR are associated with better CA compliance among children and adolescents, particularly in cleaning aligners and timely aligner change. Chewies usage showed the lowest compliance and warrants significant improvement. Pretreatment assessment of children's and adolescents' PCR can offer valuable prognostic insights for orthodontic treatment planning and personalized compliance management.
PMID:41848440 | DOI:10.1016/j.ajodo.2025.12.012