Perception of occlusion, psychological impact of dental esthetics, history of orthodontic treatment and their relation to oral health in naval recruits

Objective: To investigate whether the oral health of young male adults was related to (1) the degree of self-perceived malocclusion, (2) the degree of experienced negative psychosocial impact of dental esthetics, and (3) the history of orthodontic treatment and its duration. Materials and Methods: The study subjects were 470 male naval recruits undergoing a routine dental health checkup. They answered the Perception of Occlusion Scale (POS) and Negative Impact of Dental Aesthetics Scale (NIDAS). The Approximal Plaque Index (API), the Sulcus Bleeding Index (SBI), and the number of decayed teeth (DT) and missing teeth (MT) were examined by a staff dentist. Statistical procedures were one-way analyses of variance in the API and SBI and nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and X-2 tests in DT and MT as dependent variables. Results: (1) The subjects ranging within the upper POS quartile scored higher on the SBI (contrast: P =.003) and DT (P =.002) than did those in the lower POS quartiles. (2) In contrast to the subjects reporting minor negative impacts in the NIDAS, those with strong impacts had higher scores on the API and MT (each P <.001). (3) In the subjects with a history of orthodontic treatment lasting 30 months and longer, lower API (P <.05), SBI and DT (each P =.002), and MT (P =.007) scores were found than in the subjects without previous orthodontic treatment. Conclusion: The results suggest that self-perceived dental irregularity and negative impact of dental esthetics might affect oral health, whereas previous extensive orthodontic treatment may have favorable effects by improving dental health compliance.