Does introducing a structured finishing consultation reduce discordance in completion thresholds compared to usual care in orthodontic patients during the finishing phase of treatment?

This is a single-centre, parallel-group randomised trial at Oman Dental College, Al Maabilah, Seeb, Muscat, Oman, conducted during routine orthodontic finishing appointments. Sixty adult patients entering the finishing phase of active treatment will be allocated 1:1 (30 per arm). A computer-generated allocation sequence will be prepared in advance and concealed in sequentially numbered, sealed, opaque envelopes. After consent, enrolment and baseline assessment, the next envelope will be opened to assign the patient. Masking will not be used. Intervention arm: The patient and treating orthodontist will undertake a structured finishing consultation using a standardised guide developed for this study. It prompts discussion of residual discrepancies, the likely marginal benefit and burden of further treatment, patient priorities, and whether to continue finishing or proceed towards debonding. The guide is the intervention; it is not a previously validated questionnaire or outcome instrument. Control arm: The patient will receive the site’s usual orthodontic finishing consultation without the structured guide or mandated domain-by-domain discussion. Routine clinical assessment, further finishing adjustments and decisions about debonding will remain under the treating orthodontist’s usual care. Both arms will provide independent patient and clinician completion-threshold scores at baseline and the fixed 8–10-week follow-up.

Patients - Aged 18 years or older; both males and females are eligible. - Receiving active orthodontic treatment at Oman Dental College. - Entering the finishing phase, with the major treatment objectives achieved and remaining work consisting primarily of detailing, settling and minor adjustments. - Estimated by the treating orthodontist to require approximately 12–16 weeks of finishing at baseline. - Able to complete the patient questionnaires independently. - Provide written informed consent.

Orthodontists - Have primary responsibility for the participating patient’s finishing and debonding decisions. - Agree to complete the clinician questionnaires at the required study time points.

Patients - Remaining treatment is not comparable to routine finishing cases because substantial treatment objectives remain. - A treatment interruption of more than eight weeks is anticipated. - The treating orthodontist judges that the finishing phase is unlikely to proceed within the timeframe required by the study protocol.