SELF-PERCEIVED MALOCCLUSION OF NON-ORTHODONTIC PATIENTS AFFECTS ORAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE?

Abstract

Purpose: This cross-sectional study evaluates the impact of self-perceived malocclusion on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and also whether aesthetic self-assessment is similar to professional evaluation. Methods: this crosssectional study gathered 63 adults aged 18–36 years (28.68 ± 4.99), 42 women and 21 men, with no history of orthodontic treatment. OHRQoL was evaluated using the Brazilian short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14). Perception of malocclusion was evaluated using the aesthetic component of the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON), socioeconomic status and the
Economic Classification Criteria of Brazil. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Mann–Whitney test, Spearman correlations and Wilcoxon test, with p < 0.05. Results: the overall average score and standard deviation for OHIP-14 was 5.17 (± 6.50). There was a weak correlation between the aesthetic component perceived by the participants and their evaluation of quality of life. Only the psychological domains (psychological discomfort and psychological disability) showed significant poor correlations. Gender and socioeconomic status did not affect aesthetic perception of malocclusion and OHRQoL. There was a significant difference between the professional assessments and those of participants. Conclusion: significant weak correlations between self-perceived malocclusion and OHRQoL were found
in participants who were not seeking orthodontic treatment; the greatest impacts were seen in the domains of psychological discomfort and psychological disability, and aesthetic self-perceived malocclusion was significantly less relevant than the professional evaluation in this studied group.