title: Relationship of the Dental Aesthetic Index to the oral health-related quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of malocclusion on the quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study involved 150 subjects attending the Primary Care Unit with no history of orthodontic treatment. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) with 10 occlusal characteristics were measured on study models. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was assessed with the Malaysian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14). The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between the malocclusion and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly weak correlations (r = .176) were found between the DAI and the OHRQoL. Females and the younger age group (12-19 years) tended to score higher on the OHIP-14 than their counterparts. For males, domain 3 (psychological discomfort; r = .462), domain 4 (physical disability; r = .312), domain 7 (handicap; r = .309), and overall score (r = .289) were weak correlates but significant to the DAI compared with females. The older age group showed a significant weak correlation in domain 3 (psychological discomfort; r = .268) and domain 7 (handicap; r = .238), whereas the younger age group showed no correlation with any domain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DAI score does not predict the effect of malocclusion on the OHRQoL.
authors.affiliation: a  Training Lecturer and Dental Officer, Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Asma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ashari
authors.affiliation: b  Head, Orthodontics Specialist and Lecturer, Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Alizae M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mohamed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000523:psychology*; D009909:Oral Health; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dental Aesthetic Index; Orthodontic treatment need; Quality of life