Objective:  

 To test the hypothesis that malocclusion does not have an independent and negative effect on quality of life of adolescents.

 Materials and Methods:  

 The cross-sectional design study comprised a sample of 519 children, aged 11 to 14 years, attending public schools in Osorio, a city in southern Brazil. One calibrated examiner carried out clinical examinations and recorded dental caries (decayed/missing/filled teeth), malocclusion (Dental Aesthetic Index), and dental trauma. Participants completed the Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11–14), Impact Short Form, and their parents or guardians answered questions about socioeconomic status. Simple and multivariate linear regressions were performed to assess covariates for the overall CPQ11–14 scores.

  Results:  

 Greater impacts on oral health–related quality of life were observed for girls (P  =  .007), children with a lower household income (P  =  .016), those living in nonnuclear families (P < .001), and those with more decayed/missing/filled teeth (P  =  .001). Malocclusion was also associated with oral health–related quality of life: the severity of malocclusion was significantly related to higher scores of CPQ11–14 even after scores were adjusted for control variables. CPQ11–14 increased by approximately 1 point for each increase in the severity of malocclusion.

 Conclusions:  

 Malocclusion has a negative effect on adolescents' quality of life, independent of dental caries or traumatic dental injuries. Socioeconomic inequalities and clinical conditions are important features in adolescents' quality of life.

 Source: The Angel Orthodontists

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