Aesthetic impact of malocclusion in the daily living of brazilian adolescents

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the biopsychosocial impact of malocclusion on the daily living of Brazilian adolescents (14 to 18 years of age) through normative and subjective records and identify factors directly involved in the self-perception of malocclusions.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Public and private schools in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Subjects and methods: The sample was made up of 403 adolescents, with no prior history of orthodontic treatment, who were selected randomly from a population of 182,291 students in the same age range. The oral impact of malocclusion was assessed using the Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP), whereas clinical criteria were assessed using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Self-perception of dental aesthetics was assessed using the Oral Aesthetic Subjective Impact Scale (OASIS) and self-esteem was assessed using the Global Negative Self-Evaluation (GSE) scale. Other variables were assessed using questionnaires. The chi-square test, simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were used for the statistical analysis.

Results: Ninety five adolescents (24%) reported feeling embarrassed to smile (aesthetic impact). A logistic regression suggested that the following variables were directly involved in the self-perception of malocclusion: upper anterior crowding ⩾2 mm (P=0.009), median diastema ⩾2 mm (P=0.040), normative treatment need (highly desirable) (P<0.001) and low economic level (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Negative repercussions on daily living were found in Brazilian adolescents with malocclusions affecting anterior dental aesthetics.