Psychosocial Impact of Dental Esthetics on Quality of Life in Adolescents

Abstract

To test the hypothesis that several dimensions of the self-perceived psychosocial impacts of dental esthetics are not associated with grades of malocclusion, oral health-related quality-of-life measures, and body self-image in adolescents.
This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 301 adolescents (mean age 16.1 +/- 1.8 years, 58.1% female subjects). Demographic data were collected and dental conditions were assessed. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) was used for assessment of malocclusion and determination of orthodontic treatment needs. The short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ), and the Body Satisfaction Scale (BSS) were used to measure adolescents' self-perceived variables.
All variables (DAI, OHIP-14, and BSS) were correlated with PIDAQ (P < .001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed significant associations (P < .001) of independent variables with the total score of PIDAQ (R(2) = 0.29) and dental self-confidence (R(2) = 0.30), social impact (R(2) = 0.14), psychological impact (R(2) = 0.23), and esthetic concern (R(2) = 0.13).
The hypothesis is rejected. A broad range of adolescents' self-perceived impact of dental esthetics is influenced by severity of malocclusion, oral health-related quality of life, and body satisfaction.

Full text

1188Angle Orthodontist, Vol 79, No 6, 2009 DOI: 10.2319/082608-452.1
Original Article
Psychosocial Impact of Dental Esthetics on Quality of Life in Adolescents
Association with Malocclusion, Self-Image, and Oral Health–Related Issues
Delcides F. de Paula, Ju´ nior
a
;Na´dia C. M. Santos
a
;E
´rica T. da Silva
a
; Maria de Fa´ tima Nunes
a
;
Cla´ udio R. Leles
b
ABSTRACT
Objective: To test the hypothesis that several dimensions of the self-perceived psychosocial
impacts of dental esthetics are not associated with grades of malocclusion, oral health–related
quality-of-life measures, and body self-image in adolescents.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 301 ad-
olescents (mean age 16.1 ⫾1.8 years, 58.1% female subjects). Demographic data were collected
and dental conditions were assessed. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) was used for assessment
of malocclusion and determination of orthodontic treatment needs. The short form of the Oral
Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire
(PIDAQ), and the Body Satisfaction Scale (BSS) were used to measure adolescents’ self-per-
ceived variables.
Results: All variables (DAI, OHIP-14, and BSS) were correlated with PIDAQ (P⬍.001). Stepwise
multiple regression analysis revealed significant associations (P⬍.001) of independent variables
with the total score of PIDAQ (R
2
⫽0.29) and dental self-confidence (R
2
⫽0.30), social impact
(R
2
⫽0.14), psychological impact (R
2
⫽0.23), and esthetic concern (R
2
⫽0.13).
Conclusion: The hypothesis is rejected. A broad range of adolescents’ self-perceived impact of
dental esthetics is influenced by severity of malocclusion, oral health–related quality of life, and
body satisfaction. (Angle Orthod. 2009;79:1188–1193.)
KEY WORDS: Dental esthetics; Malocclusion; Adolescents
INTRODUCTION
Malocclusion represents an important health prob-
lem worldwide.
1
Epidemiological surveys of malocclu-
sion in several countries, primarily in northern Europe
and North America, have reported that this oral dis-
order is highly prevalent.
2
Malocclusion affects only
oral function and appearance, but it also has econom-
ic, social, and psychological effects.
3,4
Demand for orthodontic treatment is mainly moti-
a
Graduate student, School of Dentistry, Federal University of
Goias, Goias, Brazil.
b
Adjunct Professor, Department of Prevention and Oral Re-
habilitation, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Goias,
Goias, Brazil.
Corresponding author: Cla´ udio R. Leles, Universidade Fed-
eral de Goia´s, Faculdade de Odontologia, Primeira Avenida, nu´-
mero 1964, Setor Universita´rio, Goiaˆ nia, Goia´s Brasil CEP
74.605-220
(e-mail: crleles@odonto.ufg.br)
Accepted: February 2009. Submitted: August 2008.
2009 by The EH Angle Education and Research Foundation,
Inc.
vated by personal concerns about appearance and
other psychosocial factors.
5,6
However, traditional
methods of estimating orthodontic need or evaluating
treatment outcome are mainly based on assessment
of normative need and use, with occlusal indices or
cephalometric measurements used to define need for
or success/failure of treatment.
7,8
These measures re-
flect only the viewpoint of professionals, rather than
consumer expectations. This is a serious shortcoming,
because there are considerable differences between
professional and patient perceptions of dental appear-
ance and the need for orthodontic intervention.
7,9,10
Patient perceptions are important indicators of treat-
ment needs and may complement conventional clini-
cal measurements.
11,12
Treatment assessment re-
quires the integration of multiple dimensions of health
care, such as improvement in quality of life and self-
image related to body satisfaction, effectiveness of in-
tervention, and cost/benefit assessments.
13,14
The use of sociodental indicators allows individuals
with the greatest need to be a priority when financial
resources are limited.
8,15
Moreover, efficient clinical

1189IMPACT OF DENTAL ESTHETICS IN ADOLESCENTS
Angle Orthodontist, Vol 79, No 6, 2009
management of orthodontic patients would predict
their behavior and compliance during subsequent
treatment, so that individuals with minor or borderline
treatment needs can be safeguarded from the poten-
tial risks of unnecessary treatment.
6,8
In persons with
minor dental malocclusion, there is insufficient evi-
dence that orthodontic treatment enhances dental
health and function. Treatment is often justified by the
potential enhancement of social and psychological
well-being through improvements in appearance.
16,17
Traditional occlusal indices such as the Dental Aes-
thetic Index (DAI) and Index of Orthodontic Treatment
Need (IOTN) evaluate the esthetic and anatomic com-
ponents of malocclusion,
18
but they do not give any
information about how malocclusion affects a patient’s
self-image and quality of life in terms of subjective
well-being and daily functioning.
19
Recently there has
been increasing interest in the incorporation of psy-
chometric instruments that measure oral health–relat-
ed quality-of-life (OHRQOL) outcomes
16,19,20
and as-
sess body image perception
20,21
during the orthodontic
treatment planning process. The usefulness of
OHRQOL measures alongside normative indices in
predicting orthodontic concerns has been investigated
by several researchers.
9,11,12,14,22
Adolescents tend to be strongly concerned about
their body image, and body image plays an important
role in psychological and social adjustment and edu-
cational success.
23,24
This population is considered to
be a relevant age group for the study of esthetic per-
ceptions and OHRQOL outcomes. Thus, the aim of
this study was to investigate the effect of malocclusion,
quality of life, and self-image on the psychosocial im-
pacts of dental esthetics in a sample of adolescents.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This cross-sectional study was designed to include
a convenience sample of 301 adolescents (58.1% fe-
male, 41.9% male; age range 13 to 20 years, mean ⫽
16.1, SD ⫽1.8) from a public school in the city of
Goiania, Goias, Brazil. Excluded were students with
any mental or behavioral disorder that reduced their
ability for self-determination as well as those who did
not agree to participate or whose legal representatives
did not authorize participation in the study. Ethical ap-
proval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the
Federal University of Goias. Authorization for the study
was provided by the State Education Council, and in-
formed consent was obtained from the adolescents
and their legal guardians.
Data were collected from August to November 2006
and included demographic information and information
on subjects’ dental conditions. The DAI was used for
assessment of malocclusion and determination of or-
thodontic treatment need. Subsequently, the students
answered a questionnaire that included instruments to
identify oral health impact (short form of the Oral
Health Impact Profile [OHIP]), perception of dental es-
thetics (Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics
Questionnaire [PIDAQ]), and self-reported body sat-
isfaction (Body Satisfaction Scale [BSS]). All exami-
nations and questionnaires were applied individually.
Dental Examination
The dental examinations and diagnostic criteria fol-
lowed the World Health Organization recommenda-
tions for oral health surveys.
25
Dental evaluation was
performed by one experienced and trained orthodon-
tist, who conducted all clinical exams. Adolescents
with other dental treatment needs were notified and
referred to other dental care facilities.
Dental Aesthetic Index
The esthetic component of the DAI
26
includes 10 pa-
rameters of dentofacial anomalies related to both clin-
ical and esthetic aspects of the anterior teeth. Four
grades of malocclusion are given, with priorities and
orthodontic treatment recommendations assigned to
each grade: grade 1 indicates normal or minor mal-
occlusion/no treatment need or slight need (DAI ⱕ25);
grade 2, definite malocclusion/treatment is elective (26
ⱕDAI ⱕ30); grade 3, severe malocclusion/treatment
is highly desirable (31 ⱕDAI ⱕ35); and grade 4, very
severe malocclusion/treatment is mandatory (DAI ⱖ
36). The same orthodontist who performed the clinical
examinations was trained and calibrated for measure-
ment of dental parameters for the DAI score.
Short Form of the Oral Health Impact Profile
The Portuguese version of the OHIP-14
27
was used
to measure OHRQOL impacts of oral problems in the
last 6 months, capturing an overall measure of func-
tional limitation, physical pain, psychological discom-
fort, physical disability, psychological disability, social
disability, and handicap. Questions are scored on a
five-point scale (4 indicates very often; 3, fairly often;
2, occasionally; 1, hardly ever; and 0, never). The sum
of individual item responses were added together to
generate an overall OHIP-14 score, with possible val-
ues ranging from 0 to 56.
Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics
Questionnaire
The PIDAQ
28
is a 23-item psychometric instrument
for assessment of orthodontic-specific aspects of qual-
ity of life, expressed in four domains: dental self-con-
fidence (six items), social impact (eight items), psy-

1190 DE PAULA, SANTOS, DA SILVA, NUNES, LELES
Angle Orthodontist, Vol 79, No 6, 2009
Table 1. Clinical Characteristics of Subjects as Assessed Using the DAI, OHIP-14, PIDAQ, and BSS
Possible Range of
Total Scores Min–Max Mean (SD) Median
DAI ⱖ13 15–50 26.25 (6.79) 26
Grade 1 13–25 15–25 20.81 (2.80) 21
Grade 2 26–30 26–30 27.79 (1.42) 28
Grade 3 31–35 31–35 32.53 (1.48) 32
Grade 4 ⱖ36 36–50 39.74 (3.70) 39
OHIP-14 0–56 0–31 7.42 (6.88) 6
Functional limitation 0–8 0–6 0.88 (1.13) 0
Physical pain 0–8 0–8 2.05 (1.72) 2
Psychological discomfort 0–8 0–8 1.71 (2.04) 1
Physical disability 0–8 0–7 0.63 (1.22) 0
Psychological disability 0–8 0–8 0.90 (1.37) 0
Social disability 0–8 0–7 0.87 (1.38) 0
Handicap 0–8 0–4 0.36 (0.79) 0
BSS 16–112 16–112 38.71 (18.21) 36
Head parts 8–56 8–56 19.49 (9.72) 18
Body parts 8–56 8–56 19.19 (10.26) 17
PIDAQ 0–69 60–61 18.13 (12.28) 15
Dental self-confidence 0–18 0–18 9.68 (5.00) 10
Social impact 0–24 0–24 3.49 (4.25) 2
Psychological impact 60–18 0–18 3.36 (3.44) 2
Esthetic concern 0–9 0–9 1.71 (2.40) 0
chological impact (six items), and esthetic concern
(three items). The PIDAQ instrument had been previ-
ously tested for its validity, reliability, and factorial sta-
bility across samples.
28
The subjects were asked to
rate how much dental esthetics exerted a positive or
negative impact using a five-point Likert scale ranging
from 0 to 4 (0 indicates not at all; 1, a little; 2, some-
what; 3, strongly; and 4, very strongly). An overall PI-
DAQ score was obtained by summing all item scores,
and the sum of the items in each domain produced
subdomain scores. To ensure the same direction of
scoring for all items of the questionnaire, some do-
mains had scores reversed to produce a consistent
measure of the impacts.
Body Satisfaction Scale
The BSS
29
is a self-administered scale to assess a
person’s satisfaction/dissatisfaction with 16 body
parts: head, face, jaws, teeth, nose, mouth, eyes, ears,
shoulders, neck, chest, belly, arms, hands, legs, and
feet. The items are rated on a seven-point scale (from
1 to indicate ‘‘very satisfied,’’ to 7, ‘‘very unsatisfied’’;
higher scores therefore indicate greater body dissat-
isfaction). Three summative scales are derived from
the instrument with acceptable internal consistency:
general, head parts, and body parts.
29
Statistical Analysis
Descriptive statistics of clinical characteristics and
scores were obtained. Bivariate analysis was per-
formed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman
correlation coefficient. Multiple linear regression anal-
ysis was used to test the influence of age, gender,
OHIP-14, body self-image (BSS), and malocclusion on
the PIDAQ scale and subscales. The significance level
was set at P⬍.05. SPSS 14.0 for Windows (SPSS
Inc, Chicago, Ill) was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS
Most students (49.8%) had no treatment need or
only a slight need (grade 1), and 10.3% (n ⫽31) had
very severe malocclusion (grade 4). At least one oral
impact on quality of life was reported by 88% of the
adolescents, and 98.3% of subjects showed some lev-
el of psychosocial impact of dental esthetics. Dissat-
isfaction with some body part was revealed by 72% of
the sample. Table 1 includes data on the clinical as-
sessment using DAI and scores of perception of
OHRQOL and body satisfaction. Reliability analysis
showed that internal consistency was considered ac-
ceptable. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.93 for PIDAQ (sub-
scale alphas ranged from 0.82 to 0.92), 0.91 for BSS,
and 0.85 for OHIP-14.
Subjects’ perception scores of the PIDAQ scale and
subscales (Table 2) were analyzed according to the
grades of malocclusion determined by the DAI. Over-
all, scores on the PIDAQ scale and subscales were
higher with a greater DAI score (P⬍.001).
Table 3 shows bivariate correlation between all con-
tinuous variables. Multiple linear regression analysis

1191IMPACT OF DENTAL ESTHETICS IN ADOLESCENTS
Angle Orthodontist, Vol 79, No 6, 2009
Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations of PIDAQ Scale and Subscales According to DAI Grades of Malocclusion
Scale/Subscale
DAI grades
1234P*
PIDAQ scale 14.1 (10.2) 21.1 (13.7) 21.2 (12.0) 24.9 (12.0) ⬍.001
Dental self-confidence subscale 8.1 (4.9) 11.1 (4.5) 10.4 (4.7) 12.8 (4.3) ⬍.001
Social impact subscale 2.6 (3.4) 4.2 (4.8) 4.2 (5.4) 5.0 (4.2) ⬍.001
Psychological impact subscale 2.4 (2.6) 4.1 (3.9) 4.3 (3.6) 5.0 (4.2) ⬍.001
Eesthetic concern subscale 1.2 (2.0) 2.1 (2.6) 2.2 (2.7) 2.7 (2.6) ⬍.001
* Kruskal-Wallis test.
Table 3. Correlation Coefficients for Analysis of Associations Between Continuous Measurements
a
DAI Score OHIP-14 PIDAQ
PIDAQ
DSC PIDAQ SI PIDAQ PI PIDAQ AC BSS
BSS
(Head
Parts)
BSS
(Body
Parts)
DAI Score 1
OHIP-14 NS 1
PIDAQ 0.307* 0.283* 1
PIDAQ DSC 0.306* 0.220* 0.775* 1
PIDAQ SI 0.201* 0.230* 0.828* 0.367* 1
PIDAQ PI 0.278* 0.290* 0.880* 0.541* 0.747* 1
PIDAQ AC 0.228* 0.205* 0.777* 0.475* 0.618* 0.632* 1
BSS NS 0.172* 0.295* 0.345* 0.168* 0.245* 0.153* 1
BSS (head parts) NS 0.220* 0.379* 0.415* 0.246* 0.314* 0.192* 0.901* 1
BSS(body parts) NS NS 0.158* 0.211* NS 0.133* NS 0.912* 0.643* 1
a
DSC indicates dental self-confidence subscale; SI, social impact subscale; PI, Psychological impact subscale; AC, esthetic concern sub-
scale; and NS, not significant.
* Significant correlation (P⬍.05).
Table 4. Multiple Linear Regression for the Association of PIDAQ and Independent Variables
Regression
Parameters Independent Variables
Overall PIDAQ
Scale
Dental Self-
Confidence Social Impact
Psychological
Impact
Esthetic
Concern
Beta coefficient Constant 11.715 6.253 1.203 2.286 ⫺0.030
Age (y) ⫺0.714 ⫺0.242 ⫺0.124 ⫺0.223 ⫺0.043
Gender (male ⫽0) ⫺0.117 ⫺0.464 0.094 0.422 0.274
OHIP-14 0.405* 0.123* 0.117* 0.124* 0.064*
BSS (subscale head parts) 0.401* 0.192* 0.086* 0.088* 0.036*
DAI score 3.915* 1.590* 0.883* 0.949* 0.591*
R
2
0.29 0.30 0.14 0.23 0.13
P⬍.001 ⬍.001 ⬍.001 ⬍.001 ⬍.001
* Statistically significant association.
(Table 4) showed that the independent variables
(OHIP-14, head parts subscale of BSS, and DAI
score) had significant effects on patients’ perceptions
of the psychosocial impacts of dental esthetics. Age
and gender were included in the regression models as
control variables. The PIDAQ scale and subscales
showed R
2
values indicating that the model accounted
for 13% to 29% of the variance in perception scores.
DISCUSSION
Our study revealed that adolescents with higher DAI
scores had greater esthetic impact scores, and ado-
lescents with less attractive dentitions may be psycho-
socially disadvantaged and have esthetic concerns.
Mandall et al
30
found that children with higher ortho-
dontic treatment need perceived more negative psy-
chosocial impacts. Al-Sarheed et al
31
showed that 11-
to 14-year-old individuals with malocclusion reported
significantly more impact and hence a worse quality of
life compared with a group of individuals with no or
minimal malocclusion. Although dissatisfaction with
dental appearance is broadly related to the severity of
irregularities, there are differences in the recognition
and evaluation of them. It is not uncommon to observe
that some patients with severe malocclusions are sat-
isfied with or indifferent to their dental esthetics, while
others are very concerned about minor irregulari-
ties.
12,14,24

1192 DE PAULA, SANTOS, DA SILVA, NUNES, LELES
Angle Orthodontist, Vol 79, No 6, 2009
There was no association between the DAI, OHIP-
14, and BSS, which was not surprising, as these in-
struments were not developed specifically to measure
the impact of orthodontic problems, and some of the
questions are not necessarily relevant to patients with
malocclusion. O’Brien et al
32
suggested that the most
significant impact of malocclusion on quality of life ex-
presses itself in the psychosocial domain rather than
in dissatisfaction with function. Psychometric scales
reveal that questions related to emotional and social
domains, including aspects such as shyness, embar-
rassment, being upset, and avoidance of smiling or
laughing, are more relevant to an orthodontic patient.
32
Disease does not always negatively affect subjec-
tive perceptions of well-being, and even when it does,
its impact depends on expectations; preferences; ma-
terial, social, and psychological resources; and, more
important, socially and culturally derived values.
6,13,20,33
Data from the regression analysis also reinforced that
there were differences in the psychosocial impact of
dental esthetics according to gender, OHIP-14, self-
image related to head parts, and DAI score. PIDAQ
scores were higher in subjects with greater oral health
impacts on quality of life and who expressed dissat-
isfaction with their facial self-image.
These results confirm the view that adolescents at-
tribute high importance to an attractive dental appear-
ance.
5,10,34
Grzywacz
34
reported that 100% of 84 chil-
dren aged 12 years judged that healthy and well ar-
ranged teeth were important in facial appearance. Van
der Geld et al
35
found that facial attractiveness was
correlated with personality traits and self-confidence/
self-esteem and highlighted the need for further study
on the esthetic aspects of the oral region within the
whole scope of facial esthetics and within the context
of acceptance of one’s own body. Phillips and Beal
12
showed that, in adolescents, the self-perceived level
of the attractiveness or ‘‘positive’’ feelings toward the
dentofacial region is a more important factor in one’s
self-concept than the severity or perceived severity of
the malocclusion or the adolescent’s perception of
their malocclusion.
Higher PIDAQ scores in subjects with higher OHIP-
14 scores corroborate the theory that dentofacial es-
thetics plays an important role in social interaction and
psychological well-being.
36–38
The impact of oral health
conditions on quality of life, especially in items of sat-
isfaction with appearance, may result in feelings of
shame in social contacts and those who are psycho-
socially disadvantaged.
10,15,17,24,30,38,39
Therefore, the
expected benefits of orthodontic treatment would in-
clude an enhancement of self-esteem and a reduction
in social anxiety.
7,10,20,39
Gender has not been an important variable in pre-
dicting the psychosocial impact of dental esthetics, but
it might be considered in the context of the other sig-
nificant variables. Other studies found that women are
more critical of their perception of impacts related to
dental esthetics.
8,14,20,24,31,32,37
This might be a result of
the commonly reported greater concern about health
in women than in men, as expressed by higher atten-
tion to health care and greater awareness of oral
health impacts, attractiveness of facial appearance,
and quality-of-life considerations.
8,32
Because patients’ perceptions of psychosocial im-
pact related to dental esthetics are multifactorial and
are influenced by measures of normative orthodontic
treatment need as well as subjective aspects, a mul-
tifactorial approach may also be useful in planning or-
thodontic services and in guiding public health practic-
es. It may also minimize the risks of overtreatment and
reduce costs by identifying those with a greater likeli-
hood of benefiting from orthodontic treatment. Addi-
tional studies are needed to assess the predictive val-
ue of other clinical and sociodental variables on per-
ceived esthetic impacts in adolescents, focusing on
representative samples of normal populations. The
specific sociodemographic characteristics of this con-
venience sample may have resulted in potential bias
when clinical and epidemiologic inferences are consid-
ered.
CONCLUSIONS
•The hypothesis is rejected. Subjective self-percep-
tion of dental esthetics in adolescents is influenced
by occlusal conditions, oral health–related quality of
life, and self-image. Together, these measures can
provide a good indication of treatment need.
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