Resumen

The objective of this study was to establish the relationship between the personality traits of the adolescent and his/her cooperation in the orthodontic treatment. Methods: In a sample of 70 adolescent orthodontic patients (46 females and 24 males) between 12 and 15 years of age (average age 13.4±1.1 years) the personality traits were evaluated by using a personality questionnaire (16 PF APQ) and the degree of patient’s cooperation was assessed through the cooperation test (OPCS). The cutting point for the assessment of cooperation in the OPCS questionnaire (Non cooperation vs Cooperation) was carried out through the ROC analysis of curves. The treating orthodontists evaluated patient’s cooperation as well, and these evaluations were contrasted with those of the cooperation test (Kappa concordance index). A Chi Square test with Yates correction (P≤0.05) was applied in order to evaluate the associations between the degree of cooperation and the global scales of personality, gender, or age. Results: The cutting point for cooperation in the ROC analysis was 380. No statistically significant relations were found between the degree of cooperation, the scales of personality, gender, or age. This outcome was corroborated by the evaluation criteria of the treating orthodontist A very high level of concordance was found between the subjective evaluation of patient’s personality by the treating orthodontist and the result of a validated personality test. The results of the current study, however, indicate that the personality traits of adolescents alone do not predict cooperation during treatment