title: Craniodentofacial characteristics, dental esthetics-related quality of life, and self-esteem.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-esteem is a psychological trait that may develop in interaction with craniodentofacial esthetics. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship among craniodentofacial characteristics, dental esthetics-related quality of life, and self-esteem in adolescents and young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was cross-sectional; the sample included 200 pupils and university students (58% female) aged 13 to 33 years. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire were used. Craniodentofacial features were estimated by the method of Martin and Saller, the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need, and the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When malocclusion severity increases, dental esthetics-related quality of life decreases. The multiple linear regression showed that with the control of all other predictors in the model, the social impact of dental esthetics, borderline dental self-confidence, and facial type contribute the most to explain the variability of self-esteem, accounting for 3.2%, 1.3%, and 1.4%, respectively, of the variability values. The whole model accounts for 24.2% of the variability of self-esteem.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In adolescents and young adults, self-esteem appears to be more influenced by the self-perceived psychosocial impacts of dental esthetics than the normative level of malocclusion, craniofacial typology, sex, or age.
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Delnice, Croatia.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gavric
authors.affiliation: Graduate student, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Dubravka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mirceta
authors.affiliation: Graduate student, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jakobovic
authors.affiliation: Research assistant, Department of Orthodontics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: andrej.pavlic2@medri.uniri.hr.
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pavlic
authors.affiliation: Research assistant, Department of Orthodontics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Magda Trinajstic
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Zrinski
authors.affiliation: Associate professor, Department of Orthodontics, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Stjepan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spalj
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061326:Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult