Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: India being a developing country, there are still remote villages unaware of the advances in various fields; one such being orthodontics. Myths and misconceptions are present in all cultures, all professions, and on al subject matters. While some dental myths are provincial, others are heard everywhere. Hence; the present study was undertaken for assessing myths and awareness among rural population about orthodontic extractions during fixed mechanotherapy. Materials & methods: A total of 200 rural participants were enrolled in the present study. All the participants belonged in the age group of 20 to 50 years. A questionnaire was framed and was given to all the participants. Informed consent was taken from all the participants. Questionnaire consisted of questions pertaining to the myths and awareness of the participants in relation to orthodontic extractions during fixed mechanotherapy. Results: In answer to question “Is eye sight affected because of extraction”, 57.5 percent of the subjects said yes. In answer to question “Does tooth extraction lead to systemic disorders”, 46 percent of the subjects said yes. In answer to question “Extraction can lead to unaesthetic appearance”, 37 percent of the subjects said yes. In answer to question “Does tooth extraction leads to severe malocclusion”, 29.5 percent of the subjects said yes. In answer to question “Dental extraction is an extremely painful procedure”, 66 percent of the subjects said yes. Conclusion: Rural aged is a deprived lot and a targeted program to infuse scientific dental practices in them is necessary.