Effect of incisor position on the self-perceived psychosocial impacts of malocclusion among Chinese young adults

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the incisor position on the self-perceived psychosocial impacts of malocclusion among Chinese young adults. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 17.1- to 22.3-year-old young adults (n = 1005). The five groups represented were normal occlusion as well as incisor Class I, Class II/1, Class II/2, and Class III malocclusion. For clinical assessment, the incisor relationship was evaluated according to the British Standards Institute Incisor Classification, and the self-perception of dental esthetics was assessed using the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ). Statistical analysis involved the analysis of variance and Tukey multiple-comparison post hoc tests. Results: Psychosocial impacts were different among the five groups for the four PIDAQ domains (P< .001 for all four domains). Statistically significant differences were found between the fourmalocclusion groups and the normal occlusion group in all four domains (P