Perception of Dentofacial Aesthetics in School Children and Their Parents

Objective The aim of this research was to examine the attitudes and perceptions of dentofacial aesthetics among different age groups. Materials and Methods The sample consisted of elementary-school students from the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and their parents. This study included 314 subjects: 157 children and 157 parents. The children’s group consisted of 85 (54.14%) males and 72 (45.85%) females, aged 9 to 15 years. Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics were used to determine frequency distribution and percentages for all variables. A chi-squared ( x (2) ) test was used to determine the association between variables and a p -value < 0.05 was considered significant for all the differences and associations. Results For the dentofacial appearance with no teeth irregularity or with severe teeth irregularity, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) (post-hoc tests—Tukey’s HSD) indicated that the difference is not statistically significant ( p = 0.06) relative to rank matching between all three subject groups. For dentofacial appearance with mild teeth irregularity, an ANOVA (post-hoc tests—Tukey’s HSD) showed statistical difference ( p = 0.07) between the teenage group of subjects relative to pre-teenage group of subjects and adult group of subjects. Conclusion Attitudes about desirable and acceptable dental aesthetics differ in younger children compared with older children and parents. Ten years old children find good function with poor aesthetics more pleasing, while 14 years old children find aesthetics with bad function as more pleasing.