[The influence of malocclusion on self-esteem and personality of college student]

Abstract

Objective: To study the relationship among the different malocclusions and self-esteem and personality.

Methods: Two hundred and forty college students with normal occlusion and different types of malocclusion were classified into four groups(class I, class II, class III and normal) by Angle's classification, Sixty students in each group. The first three groups had been divided into three subgroups respectively by IOTN: mild, moderate and severe, twenty students in each subgroup. Each subject was assessed by using the body-esteem scale (BES) and the Eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ).

Results: (1) the mean score on facial appearance subscale in BES of the normal group is significantly higher than that of moderate and severe subgroups in class II and class III groups; (2) the mean T score on E subscale in EPQ of the normal group is significantly higher than that of severe subgroups in class II and class III groups, and the mean T score on N subscale in EPQ of the normal group is significantly lower than that of severe subgroups in class II and class III groups; (3) There is a positive correlation between the mean score on facial appearance subscale in BES and the mean T score on E subscale in EPQ and a negative correlation between the mean score on facial appearance subscale in BES and the mean T score on N subscale in EPQ.

Conclusions: (1) The students with moderate and severe class II and class III malocclusion have lower self esteem about their facial appearance than normal students; (2) The trends of introverstion and astatic emotion are higher in students with severe class II and class III malocclusion than in normal students; (3) The higher self esteem about his (or her) facial appearance, the higher trends of extroversion and statical emotion he(or she) has; the lower self-esteem about his (or her) facial appearance, the higher trends of introversion and astatic emotion he (or she) has.