Development of a questionnaire for assessment of the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics in young adults

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a psychometric instrument for assessment of orthodontic-specific aspects of quality of life. The study subjects, 194 young adults aged 18-30 years, were interviewed using a pool of 23 items dealing with the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics. Self- and interviewer-rating of the dental aesthetic appearance of each subject were carried out using the Aesthetic Component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Additionally, the Perception of Occlusion Scale and a modification of the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) were applied. Factorial analyses identified four measures within the item pool, namely Dental Self-Confidence, Social Impact, Psychological Impact, and Aesthetic Concern. The factor structure was confirmed in an independent sample of 83 subjects aged 18-33 years. The reliabilities of the factor analysis-derived scales were between alpha (alpha) 0.85 and 0.91. They differed between respondents with varying severity of malocclusion, as assessed by subject and interviewer ratings. The results suggest that the proposed instrument, termed the 'Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire' (PIDAQ), meets the criteria of factorial stability across samples and criterion-related validity and reliability, and might be a promising tool for further research and clinical application in orthodontics.

Effect of anterior teeth display during smiling on the self-perceived impacts of malocclusion in adolescents

“…6,18,22 Most adolescents (98.3%) had some level of psychosocial impact of dental esthetics, and a significant percentage of the sample (34.6%) revealed dissatisfaction with their dental appearance. Although it is true that increased teeth display has more chance for an increased perception of malocclusion (because teeth in malocclusion are more visible), teeth or gingival display itself is an esthetic problem that can cause psychosocial effects.…”

“…18,23,24 The impact of oral health conditions on a person's satisfaction with their appearance might result in shame in social contacts and psychosocial disadvantage. 18,23,24 In a previous study, de Paula-Junior et al 4 showed that adolescents' self-perceived impact of dental esthetics is influenced by the severity of malocclusion, oral health-related quality of life, and body satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis revealed significant associations of independent variables (DAI, short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile, and body satisfaction scale) with the PIDAQ scale and subscales.…”

“…This instrument had been previously tested for its validity, reliability, and factorial stability across samples. 18 The subjects were asked to rate how much dental esthetics exerted a positive or negative impact using a five-point Likert scale ranging from 0 to 4 (0 indicates not at all; 1, a little; 2, somewhat; 3, strongly; and 4, very strongly). An overall PIDAQ score was obtained by summing all item scores, and the sum of the items in each domain produced subdomain scores.…”

Three questionnaires to assess the perception of fixed orthodontic therapy before, during and after treatment: validity and reliability

“…However, authors have modified generic OHRQoL questionnaires that were originally developed to measure the impact of malocclusion on quality of life, (28) orthodontic-specific aspects on quality of life (e.g. psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics), (29) or the impact of pain during treatment on quality of life. (30) Moreover, previously published valid and reliable questionnaires have limitations, for example some of these questionnaires are age specific (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36).…”

“…psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics), (29) or the impact of pain during treatment on quality of life. (30) Moreover, previously published valid and reliable questionnaires have limitations, for example some of these questionnaires are age specific (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36). Other limitations are related to the aims of existing questionnaires developed for cross-sectional use to measure either motivation, expectations, experiences, or satisfaction (28-37).…”