Mioara Decusară, Sorana Maria Bucur, Daniela Cornea, Mihaela Moisei
Abstract
Aim of the study This cross-sectional analytical study investigated the association between orthodontic treatment and psychosocial outcomes among Romanian adolescents, using the validated Romanian version of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ-RO). Materials and methods A total of 212 teenagers aged 13–18 years attending a university dental clinic were enrolled. Participants were divided into two groups: those currently undergoing or having completed orthodontic treatment within the past three years (n = 108) and those without orthodontic history (n = 104). Psychosocial outcomes were evaluated using PIDAQ-RO, which measures dental self-confidence, social impact, psychological impact, and aesthetic concern. Sociodemographic information and parental education were also recorded. Group comparisons were performed using independent-sample tests and multivariate regression.
Results Orthodontically treated teenagers demonstrated significantly higher dental self-confidence scores (18.6 ± 4.1 vs. 16.9 ± 4.5; p = 0.01). No significant differences were observed in social impact, psychological impact, or aesthetic concern domains. Female gender predicted higher aesthetic concern and psychological impact, while higher parental education was associated with greater dental self-confidence. The regression model explained 24% of variance in psychosocial outcomes.
Conclusions Orthodontic treatment appears to improve perceptions of dental appearance but has a modest influence on overall psychosocial well-being. Broader social and family determinants remain major contributors to adolescents’ self-perception.
DOI : 10.62610/RJOR.2025.1.18.13
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