title: Dental esthetics and quality of life in adults with severe malocclusion before and after treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between satisfaction with dental esthetics and quality of life, and esthetics satisfaction in relation to esthetic evaluations of three panel groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two patients (36 women, 16 men; age 18-61 years) with severe malocclusion were treated in Oulu University Hospital. Of these, 38 and 14 patients underwent orthodontic/surgical treatment and orthodontic treatment, respectively. A questionnaire and dental photographs were collected before and after treatment. The 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was used to measure oral health-related quality of life. Satisfaction with dental esthetics was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale. Dental photographs were presented to three panel groups: 30 laypersons, 30 dental students, and 10 orthodontists, who rated the photographs using the Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral health-related quality of life (OHIP-14 severity score) and esthetic satisfaction (according to the Visual Analogue Scale) improved after the treatment (P < .001). The most unsatisfied patients reported oral effects more often both before and after treatment. Changes in oral health-related quality of life components of severity, psychological discomfort, and psychological disability correlated positively with the changes in esthetic satisfaction. Orthodontists graded the situation before treatment as worse and the outcome as better than the laypersons; the level of grading by dental students fell between these two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvement in esthetic satisfaction due to the treatment of severe malocclusion improves oral health-related quality of life, particularly by decreasing psychological discomfort and psychological disability.
authors.affiliation: a  Postgraduate student, Department of Oral Development and Orthodontics, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Anna-Sofia
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Silvola
authors.forename: Maiju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varimo
authors.forename: Mimmi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tolvanen
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rusanen
authors.forename: Satu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.forename: Pertti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pirttiniemi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D061326:Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000523:psychology; D056948:Orthognathic Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D023861:Photography, Dental / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dental esthetics; Malocclusion; Orthodontics; Orthognathic surgery; Quality of life