Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment on adolescent self-esteem.
Methods: A total of 4509 middle school students were clinically evaluated for dental crowding. Lip protrusion was also measured with a specially designed ruler. Rosenberg's self-esteem scale was used to determine each subject's level of self-esteem.
Results: The results showed that sex played a role in the relationship between self-esteem and malocclusion. For the girls, crowding of the anterior teeth had significant effects on their self-esteem; however, there was no significant difference in the boys' self-esteem. After fixed orthodontic treatment, the girls had higher self-esteem than the untreated malocclusion group. Girls with an ideal profile and good tooth alignment also showed higher self-esteem than students with crowding or protrusion.
Conclusions: This clinical study proved that malocclusion and fixed orthodontic treatment can affect self-esteem in adolescent girls.
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