Impact of malocclusion on adolescents' oral health-related quality of life.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of malocclusion on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of 120 Brazilian adolescents with the Child Perceptions Questionnaire for 11 to 14 year olds (CPQ11-14). Malocclusion was evaluated by 2 calibrated dentists using the Dental Aesthetic Index. Adolescents' sex and age and the families' monthly income were recorded and considered as confounding variables. A total of 117 adolescents completed the CPQ11-14, for a response rate of 97.5%. The multivariate model demonstrated that adolescents diagnosed with malocclusion (n=77) were significantly more likely to report a negative impact on the overall CPQ11-14 score (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20-1.51; P < 0.05), as well as on the emotional (PR = 1.74; CI = 1.35-2.24; P < 0.01) and social well-being (PR = 1.62; CI = 1.24-2.12; P < 0.05) subscales, than were those adolescents with no malocclusion (n = 40).