%0 Journal Article
%T The impact of social context on the perception of dental appearance in 8-9 years old children
%A Roberto Devi
%A Bruno Oliva
%A Ludovica Antonella Macr¨¬
%A Marco Clementini
%J Italian Journal of Public Health
%D 2009
%I 
%R 10.2427/5792
%X Background: Several studies have tried to clarify the role that malocclusion has on an individual¡¯s selfconcept or on level of satisfaction with one¡¯s dental or facial appearance, but little research on psycho-social attitudes towards malocclusion has been conducted on pre-adolescent children. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of socio-economic status (SES) on the perception of dental appearance in third-grade school-children. Methods: A pilot survey was conducted in 2008 in order to collect data from a representative sample of 101 eight-nine years-old children (62 M - 39 F), examined by trained orthodontists. Each child filled in the Children¡¯s Orthodontic Attitude Survey (COAS) questionnaire, and then they were examined by 3 residents. The clinical parameters were correlated with the questionnaire findings and with the SES. The latter was assessed using a previously validated scale, graded into classes from I to V reflecting the parents¡¯ job activity. Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS 12.0 for Windows, using Chi Square Test for nominal variables and Kruskal-Wallis test for ordinal scales. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A statistical association was found between clinical status and SES only for the Oral Hygiene level (p = 0.022). Chi-Square test also showed a statistically significant association between SES and R.O.M.A. Index (p = 0.009). The relation between questionnaire findings and SES was significantly observed only for the following question ¡°Does the way your teeth look bother you¡± (p = 0.022). Conclusions: Familial SES is not a determinant in children¡¯s satisfaction with dental appearance. Children with different SES demonstrate they have almost completely the same approach towards braces.
%K Self-perception
%K malocclusion
%K aesthetics
%K behavioural
%K orthodontics
%U http://ijphjournal.it/article/view/5792