title: Prevalence of Malocclusion and its Psycho-Social Impact among 12 To 15-Year-old School Children in Lucknow City.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Facial aesthetics affects how people are perceived by society and how they perceive themselves. Anterior malocclusion can have an impact on the overall facial appearance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of malocclusion and its psycho-social impact among 12 to 15 yrs old school children in Lucknow city.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study consisted of collection of information for psychosocial assessment using a questionnaire and clinical examination of malocclusion. Data regarding psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics was collected using a Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) given by Klages et al., (2006).
  
  
  RESULTS
  15.57% children belonged to the definite malocclusion category and 5.41% to the handicapped malocclusion category. The mean Dental self confidence score differed significantly among both male (p≤0.001) and female children (p≤0.001) across the age groups. The mean Social impact score did not differ significantly among both male (p≤0.31) and female children (p≤0.12) across the age groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study imply that dental aesthetics had a significant impact on the psychosocial aspects of human life irrespective of the gender.
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Kalinga Dental College , Bhubeneswar, India .
authors.forename: Kunal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: Professor & Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical sciences , Lucknow, India .
authors.forename: Sabyasachi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.affiliation: Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical sciences , Lucknow, India .
authors.forename: Jagannatha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gv
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Surendera Dental College and Reseach Institute , Sri-Ganganagar, India .
authors.forename: Ridhi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Narang
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Jaipur Dental College , Jaipur, India .
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Surendera Dental College and Reseach Institute , Sri-Ganganagar, India .
authors.forename: Poonam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Dept of Pedodontics, Jaipur Dental College , Jaipur, India .
authors.forename: Aarti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.affiliation: Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, BBD College of Dental Sciences , Lucknow, India .
authors.forename: Manu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Narayan
keywords: Aesthetics; Dental aesthetic index; Orthodontic treatment