Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic led to restrictive measures, which aimed to limit the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These restrictions impacted all areas of life, including the activity of dental offices. For patients with orthodontic appliances, closing the dental offices was a major issue, as most orthodontic treatments last for more than a year and require regular checkups. The aim of this research was to assess the impact that the restrictive measures that were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, especially, wearing a face mask had on a sample of Romanian teenagers undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 277 orthodontic patients, with ages between 12 and 17.9 years, from North-Western Romania. They completed a 9-item questionnaire. The control group consisted of 231 participants, with ages between 12 and 17.9 years. They completed an 8-item questionnaire. Results: Most patients from the study group were not worried that wearing a protective face mask would hide their braces (never—49.5%; rarely—26.7%), and their desire to undergo an orthodontic treatment was not affected by the compulsoriness of face mask wearing (never—51.6%; rarely—26%). In contrast to that, in the control group, more than 50% of the participants were worried to some degree that wearing a protective face mask would hide their smile (occasionally—29.9%; frequently—18.2%; very frequently—2.2%). The majority of the participants from the study group did not consider interrupting the orthodontic treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic (62.5%), and the majority of the participants from the control group did not consider not going to the dentist due to the COVID-19 pandemic (70.6%). Most of the participants from the study group were not happy that they had to wear a face mask, which covered their orthodontic appliances, during the orthodontic treatment (68.6%). The attitude was similar to that of the participants from the control group, who were not happy that they had to wear a face mask, that covered their smile (51.1%). In the study group, most patients did not want face mask wearing to continue to be compulsory, given the fact that their orthodontic appliances were no longer visible (52%). In the control group, the attitude was similar, with 48.1% of the participants not wanting face mask compulsoriness to be maintained. Conclusions: In conclusion, although, most patients would not like to continue wearing a face mask as a mandatory regulation, they were not concerned or negatively affected by wearing a protective face mask, even though face masks hid their braces.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the protective face mask has proven to be essential. The protective face masks cover the lower part of the face, including teeth and, for orthodontic patients, the orthodontic appliances. The aim of this study was to assess the impact that the restrictive measures that were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and, especially, wearing a protective face mask had on a sample of Romanian children, and to compare the results previously obtained on a sample of Romanian teenagers with the results obtained after investigating children under the age of 12 years. The cross-sectional survey was conducted in two orthodontic offices from the city of Oradea, Romania. The study sample included children with ages between 8 and 11.9 years that were undergoing an orthodontic treatment with removable or fixed orthodontic appliances. After obtaining the results, comparisons were made with the answers provided by a group of adolescents previously investigated. The questionnaires consisted of 9 items that investigated children’ attitudes toward protective face mask wearing and other aspects related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two hundred fifty-six children were included in the study (53.1% female patients, 46.9% male patients). Most of the children were not worried that face masks would hide their orthodontic appliances (Item 1—Never, 40.2%; Rarely, 28.9%) and did not consider that the necessity of face mask wearing negatively impacted their desire to undergo an orthodontic treatment, despite the fact that it covered the appliances (Item 2—Never, 37.1%; Rarely, 31.6%). However, 44.5% of children were not happy because they had to wear a face mask during the orthodontic treatment, considering the fact that it covered the orthodontic appliance (Item 6), and most patients (49.2%) did not want the face mask to continue to be mandatory (Item 7). Although children were not happy that they had to wear a face mask that covered the orthodontic appliances, protective face masks were generally well tolerated by Romanian children.

Introduction: Dental malocclusions are considered a major issue in adolescence, and are often the main reason for which patients go to the dentist. Adolescents′ option to start an orthodontic treatment is questioned in the light of the restrictions imposed in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to assess adolescents’ perceptions of facial aesthetics and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the decision to start an orthodontic treatment during this time, when a number of restrictions, such as face mask wearing, were imposed. Material and methods: A 15 items questionnaire was applied in the city of Oradea, Romania and distributed to orthodontic adolescent patients, with a previously diagnosed malocclusion, with ages between 12 and 17.9 years. The questionnaires were correctly filled in by 76 participants. Results: Patients tend to be affected by the aspect of their teeth (50%), and most patients considered that the aspect of their teeth forces them to socialize less (44.8%), and to avoid smiling (44.8%). 39.4% of the respondents considered that wearing a face mask is useful because it covers all dental malocclusions, and 31.6% of the respondents were not bothered that they had to wear a face mask. Conclusions: Patients declared that they were affected by the aspect of their teeth, and have a generally positive attitude regarding face masks.