EC Dental Science

Objective: Evaluate how the psychosocial aspect of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in Moroccan adolescents receiving orthodontic treatment is impacted by individual factors (dental aesthetics and social comparison of dental appearance) and sociocultural factors (social reinforcement from parents, peers, and the media regarding dental aesthetics), as well as how these factors interact.

Methods: Social comparison of dental appearance was assessed using four items that were translated and cross-culturally adapted from the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale (PACS), and the sociocultural aspect was measured with six items adapted from the Perceived Sociocultural Pressure Scale (PSPS).

Results: Both measurement scales were reliable and reproducible, with an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) ranging from 0.74 to 0.85 for the PSPS and 0.81 for the PACS. The media subdimension of the PSPS showed good internal reliability with an alpha of α = 0.54, while the PACS demonstrated good internal reliability with an alpha of α = 0.66. No significant correlations were found between the various dimensions of the PSPS and PACS with gender, age, satisfaction level with dental appearance, or diagnosis. However, parents were found to have the most influence on their children in initiating orthodontic treatment.

Conclusion: This study highlights the need for informed public policies in our country aimed at facilitating access for adolescents to orthodontic treatments that meet their specific needs. This would significantly improve their OHRQoL and overall well-being.

 Keywords: Oral Health Related Quality of Life; Orthodontics; Biopsychosocial-Cultural Model; Adolescents; Social Reinforcement; Malocclusion; Dental Aesthetics

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