Comparison of Self-Perception of Esthetics and Orthodontic Treatment Needs among Dental and Non-Dental Students with Assessment by Orthodontist

Abstract

Objectives: The present study was conducted to compare the self-perception of esthetics and wish for seeking orthodontic treatment among dental and non-dental students. The realistic orthodontic treatment needs were confirmed by expert orthodontist. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 255 male students (Dental—75, Medical—93 and Pharmacy—87 students). The questionnaire included 20 items covering dental esthetics self-perception (10 questions), self-confidence and psychological impact (5 questions), and the need for seeking orthodontic treatment (5 questions) on a five-point Likert scale. The realistic orthodontic treatment needs were confirmed by photographs using aesthetic component of IOTN and clinical examination for the participants and analysis of jaw models using Dental aesthetic index (DAI). Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was used to check the significant difference between groups. Results: The overall average esthetic self-perception score for total sample was 3.83. The overall average psychological impact score for the whole sample was 2.67. The total percentage of participants who either agree or strongly agree with the question related to their perception of need for seeking orthodontic treatment was 70%. According to the assessment of orthodontic needs using AC-IOTN, 19.8% required definitive treatment. According to the assessment of orthodontic treatment needs based on DAI, 20.3% and 9.9% needed highly desirable (DAI 31 - 35) and definite need of treatment (DAI ≥ 36) respectively. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there was no difference between the esthetic perception of dental and non-dental students. The self-perception for seeking orthodontic treatment was over-reported by participants compared to real requirement as assessed by orthodontic specialist. Dental esthetics has no psychological impact on academic performance and self-confidence as perceived by study participants.