ArticleFrontiers in dental medicine2026
The impact of colorful orthodontic appliances on children's motivation and treatment perceptions: a single-center cross-sectional study.
Article in Frontiers in dental medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Color customization of removable orthodontic appliances is widely used in pediatric care, but evidence linking color-related perceptions to motivation and adherence is limited. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, routine patient and parent/guardian questionnaires from 316 children aged 8-16 years treated with removable appliances in a private clinic in Germany were analyzed. Outcomes were retrospective patient-reported perceptions of motivation and treatment experience assessed using 5-point Likert items and self-reported adherence (missed a full day of wear in the past week; daily wear-hours). Age group (8-11 vs. 12-16) and gender were key predictors. Likert outcomes were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests and adjusted proportional-odds ordinal logistic regression; adherence outcomes were analyzed using chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Perceptions were favorable: 60.7% agreed/strongly agreed they were motivated to wear the appliance, 53.2% that color made them more eager to wear it, and 94.2% that wear would improve dental health. Younger participants and females reported higher color-related anticipation/enjoyment and lower endorsement that color "does not matter." Missed full-day wear was reported by 27.3% (70/256); older age was associated with lower odds of missed full-day wear (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.21-0.72), while color engagement was not. Parent responses were often neutral; younger age was associated with stronger parent endorsement across items. Conclusions: Color customization is positively perceived and differs by age and gender, but shows limited association with self-reported adherence. Prospective studies incorporating objective wear-time monitoring are warranted.
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