Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between dental aesthetic index (DAI) and self – satisfaction with dental appearance, smile and desire for orthodontic care. Methods: A survey of 103 school children, 51 boys and 52 girls was carried out in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram. The subjects were interviewed using a questionnaire consisting of questions concerning smile, dental appearance and desire for orthodontic treatment. They were also assessed using the dental aesthetic index. Results: Statistically significant correlations were between subjective assessments of dental appearance and DAI (P = 0.042) and need for orthodontic treatment and DAI (P = 0.045). The strongest correlations were found between DAI and comparative evaluations of dental appearance (P < 0.005). Conclusion: This study has shown significant correlations between DAI and subjective perceptions of dental appearance.
Highlights
The traditional opinions regarding the major benefits of orthodontic treatment have been challenged
In response to the question regarding satisfaction with smile, 83.5% of subjects were satisfied with the appearance of their smile, 63.1% stated that they liked the way their teeth looked. 70.8% felt that their teeth were better than average or one of the nicest features of their face. 66% felt that compared to their classmates and friends they had a better than average or one of the nicest dentitions and 35% responded that they would definitely wear braces if it would improve their dental appearance (Table 1)
A significant but weak association was present between dental aesthetic index and satisfaction with dental appearance
Summary
The traditional opinions regarding the major benefits of orthodontic treatment have been challenged. The importance of orthodontic care in the prevention of caries, periodontal disease and temporomandibular joint disorders are beginning to be doubted. The measurement of malocclusion as a public health problem is extremely difficult since most orthodontic treatment is undertaken for aesthetic reasons and it is very difficult to estimate the extent to which malposed teeth or dentofacial malrelation constitute to a psychological hazard.[2] Malocclusion has proved to be a difficult entity to define since individual perceptions of what constitutes a malocclusion problem differs widely.[3]
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