Psychosocial Effect of Malocclusion on Young Adults

Abstract

Background: Malocclusion can have a negative impact on the psychological health, social interactions and self-esteem of a person, especially when it happens during young adulthood. Knowledge of the psychosocial effects of malocclusion and the correlation of malocclusion severity and its effects is important in planning orthodontic treatment that is geared toward the patient's needs and enhancing their quality of life. Objectives:To assess the effect of malocclusion from a psychosocial aspect and to see if this is correlated with the severity of malocclusion, and to see if there is a difference between males and females in this correlation. Methods: This study was conducted at the Department of Orthodontics, Punjab Dental Hospital, a high-volume teaching hospital with an OPD of around 150 orthodontic patients daily, ensuring adequate recruitment. A convenience sampling technique in a cross-sectional design was used to sample young adults (ages 18 to 28) who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The validated Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) was used to gather data as well as malocclusion assessment was carried out using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent, confidentiality, and participants’ rights were strictly maintained. Results: Among 279 young adults, malocclusion was associated with varying psychosocial effects. The mean total PIDAQ score was 36.26 ± 15.25, with higher scores reflecting greater psychosocial burden. While participants reported moderate concerns in self-confidence, social, psychological, and aesthetic domains, Spearman correlation showed no significant relationship between severity of malocclusion (IOTN grade) and psychosocial effect (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: Malocclusion exerted a psychosocial effect on young adults, particularly affecting dental self-confidence and psychological well-being. However, the severity of malocclusion showed no significant correlation with psychosocial outcomes, except for higher psychological impact reported among males.