Impact of malocclusion on oral health-related quality of life in 10–14-year-old children of Mumbai, India

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim and objective of this study was to establish the relationship of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) as assessed by the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ 11–14) with the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and the child's apprehension with his/her dental appearance and how upset the child would feel if he/she is unable to obtain orthodontic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among 604 children between the age group of 10–14 years to analyze the effect of malocclusion on the quality of life of children on the basis of impact on oral symptoms, functional limitation, emotional well-being, and social well-being. Malocclusion was evaluated using the IOTN, and the CPQ 11–14 was used to study the OHRQoL in children. The collected data were then subjected to statistical analysis. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to analyze the data statistically. RESULTS: Out of the 604 children examined, boys showed effect on emotional well-being, whereas girls showed a significant correlation on both emotional and social well-being. There was a statistically significant correlation between IOTN and all the four domains of CPQ scores with respect to the two questions that were added to the CPQ questionnaire. CONCLUSION: A questionnaire when developed specifically for determining the effect of malocclusion on OHRQoL focusing more on emotional and psychological impact and less on oral symptoms and functional limitation will provide advantages of having limited questions, being less time-consuming, and providing better understanding of the patients’ concern.