title: Psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics and desire for orthodontic treatment among Chinese undergraduate students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to evaluate the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics in undergraduate students in the People's Republic of China and to investigate the association between normal orthodontic treatment needs, psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics, and desire for orthodontic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out in two universities in a city of the People's Republic of China with 374 young adults aged between 19 years and 24 years. The students answered a Chinese version of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) and addressed their desire for orthodontic treatment. Objective malocclusion severity was assessed with the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Statistical analysis was performed by the SPSS software (Version 15.0).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistical sex difference in relation to the dental health component of IOTN (P=0.893) and PIDAQ scores (P=0.06), but it was found that the desire for orthodontic treatment was significantly stronger among females. The total and subscale PIDAQ scores and malocclusion severity differed significantly among the five grades of desire (P<0.01). Significant positive correlation was found among desire for orthodontic treatment, IOTN-dental health component grades, and total or subscale PIDAQ scores (P<0.01). High correlation was found between desire and PIDAQ score (r=0.93).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The desire for orthodontic treatment is higher among female young adults who have the same orthodontic treatment needs compared to males. The desire for orthodontic treatment has high positive correlation with PIDAQ scores and increases with the increase in self-perceived psychosocial impacts of malocclusion and the needs for orthodontic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology and Otorhinolaryngology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chuqin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chulei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: adult; need; questionnaires; self-concept