Investigation of the relationship between the psychosocial effect of malocclusion and the need for objective orthodontic treatment in skeletal class I patients

Due to the increasing awareness of malocclusion and the psychosocial effects of dental aesthetics on quality of life, the demand for orthodontic treatment is increasing. The perception of dental aesthetics is subjective; It is affected by age, gender, social class, education level, personality traits and social value systems. However given the equal sociodemographic status and the need for orthodontic treatment to the same extent, the answer to the question of why some patients are worsened psychosocially is not fully known. The aim of our study is to determine the relationship between the psychosocial effects of malocclusion and the need for objective treatment in patients aged 16-30 years who applied to the Orthodontic Clinic of the Faculty of Dentistry of Usak University, and to determine the effect of hard and soft tissues on the perception of the patients. Individuals determined to be skeletal Class I by Steiner cephalometric analysis were included in our study. Objective treatment needs were determined using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN-DHC). Individuals' perceptions of dental aesthetics were evaluated with the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ). Hard and soft tissue measurements, which are thought to affect patient perception, were made using Arnett Soft Tissue Cephalometric Analysis (STCA). Individuals were divided into groups according to age, gender, IOTN-DHC grades and the difference between the groups was analyzed statistically. In our study, it was concluded that the psychosocial effect of dental aesthetics on individuals increased with the severity of malocclusion, but age and gender were not effective in the perception of the patient. Regardless of gender; upper lip thickness, lower lip thickness, upper lip length, mandibular height, total face height, distance of lower and upper incisors to True Vertical Line (TVL) were found to be effective on patients' perceptions of the need for treatment. As a result, it is not correct to attribute the psychosocial effect of malocclusion on individuals only to sociodemographic factors. Hard and soft tissue features can affect the psychosocial perceptions of patients by masking their existing malocclusions.