The Psychosocial Impact of Dental Esthetics in Undergraduates with Borderline Malocclusion

BACKGROUND: The study investigates the existing correlation between self-perceived malocclusion, the psychosocial impact of dental esthetics, and whether this link involves personality traits. METHODS: The 179 questionnaires from 615 undergraduates in Wenzhou were used for analysis after applying the exclusion criteria. The Psychosocial Impact of the Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) was administered to evaluate participants' perceptions of the psychosocial impacts of malocclusion. The need for orthodontic treatment was assessed using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). The Chinese version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Short Scale (EPQ-RSC) evaluated participants' personality characteristics. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess differences between the IOTN-Dental Health Component (DHC) and expectations of orthodontic treatment. Linear regression was applied with PADAQ and its subscale scores against possible variables. RESULTS: The total and subscale PIDAQ scores were positively correlated with neuroticism. Total PIDAQ scores, the DHC, and the Aesthetic Component (AC) were significantly positively correlated with the subjective AC. The DHC was significantly negatively correlated with extroversion. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed a modest link between the need for orthodontic treatment and the psychosocial impact of dental esthetics.