Abstract:

Objective This study aims to explore factors affecting the dental aesthetic social psychology of patients with skeletal malocclusion and to measure the relationship between the objective orthodontic requirements and the subjective treatment requirements of patients. This work provides a reference for doctors to measure patients’ orthodontic treatment needs. Methods Adult patients with skeletal malocclusion were chosen as the research object. Questionnaire survey was used to analyze factors influencing the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire (PIDAQ), index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN), and Eysenck personality questionnaire-revised short scale for Chinese (EPQ-RSC). The relationship among PIDAQ, IOTN, EPQ-RSC, and treatment options was also evaluated. Results Seventy-two valid questionnaires were collected from adult patients with skeletal malocclusion. 1) The PIDAQ scores significantly differed among different occupations (P<0.05) but were not affected by other general conditions such as gender and age. 2) Patients of different dental health component (DHC) grade and ages had different AC self-assessment scores (P<0.01, P<0.05). The AC self-assessment score was positively correlated with the PIDAQ score (P<0.05). 3) Males accounted for a higher proportion of patients who received treatment. Younger patients (18-28 years old) were more likely to receive treatment when their own dental aesthetics were poor. People with the higher monthly expenditure accounted for the larger proportion of surgical patients. 4) The PIDAQ score had no significant effects on the choice of operation (P>0.05). People with low educational level were more likely to receive surgery if their psychosocial impacts of dental aesthetics were serious. 5) The score of psychoticism scale of EPQ-RSC and the educational level had a mutual influence on the PIDAQ score (P<0.01). Moreover, the neuroticism scale and AC self-assessment scores had a mutual influence on the PIDAQ score (P<0.05). However, this study did not find a correlation between personality traits and treatment options. Conclusion Many factors, such as personal natural conditions, subjective aesthetic evaluation of teeth, and psychosocial impacts of dental aesthetics, affect patients’ treatment options. Personality characteristics can play a certain role in dental aesthetics social psychology.

Key words: adult, malocclusion, orthodontic treatment, psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire, index of orthodontic treatment need, Eysenck personality questionnaire-revised short scale for Chinese