Relationship of Malocclusion with Self-Esteem & Quality of Life of Adult Saudi Female Orthodontic Patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND Self-satisfaction can be influenced by malocclusion resulting in impairment of psychology, associated with low self-esteem (SE) and quality of life issues (QOL). Certain malocclusions and orthodontic treatment needs are related to QOL and they can affect the psychological development and social skills of adolescents and young adults, who are the most common orthodontic patients. This study was done to assess the self-esteem and Orthognathic Quality of Life (OQL) among female participants with different types of malocclusion in private orthodontic clinics in Jeddah. METHODS This questionnaire-based study evaluated the effect of orthodontic malocclusion on SE and QOL in female orthodontic patients with Class I, Class II, Class III malocclusion, crowded anterior teeth, proclined anterior teeth, open bite, and deep bite patients. Patients were evaluated before starting orthodontic treatment with Rosenberg’s SelfEsteem Scale and the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ) to find any correlation with malocclusion severity. RESULTS The results indicated that females who had Class II proclination and Class II deep bite type of malocclusion had significantly higher negative SE compared to other types. In the oral function component of the OQLQ, Class II malocclusion had statistically significant higher OQLQ scores than Class I Open bite (mean difference = 6.11, P = 0.004) and Class II Deep bite (mean difference = 4.88, P = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that female orthodontic patients with severe Class II and / or severely protrusive lip profile, deep bite may have lower SE and QOL than those with crowding, open bite, and Class III malocclusion. KEY WORDS Self-esteem, Orthodontic Malocclusion, Female Adult Orthodontic Patients, Quality of Life