Perception of Occlusion, Psychological Impact of Dental Esthetics, History of Orthodontic Treatment and Their Relation to Oral Health in Naval Recruits

Abstract 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…