Effect of malocclusion among adolescents on family quality of life.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of malocclusion among adolescents on their families' oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). METHODS: A consecutive sample of 125 parents/caregivers of Brazilian adolescents was chosen. Participants were asked to answer the Brazilian version of the Family Impact Scale (FIS). The main independent variable was adolescents' malocclusion, which was measured with the Dental Aesthetic Index. Gender, age, and family monthly income were the other independent variables. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney test, and univariate and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the 125 participants initially admitted to the present study, two were excluded so that 123 parents/caregivers participated providing a response rate of 98.4 %. The overall FIS score revealed a more frequent effect for families of adolescents who presented malocclusion (P = 0.005). Significant findings were also observed for parental emotions (P = 0.022), family conflict (P = 0.010), and financial burden (P = 0.010) subscales. When the independent variables family monthly income and malocclusion were inserted together in the regression model, families with a monthly income of <5 Brazilian minimum wages (approximately US$ 325.00 per month) were more likely to have a worse OHRQoL, and families whose adolescents presented malocclusion were 3.55 more likely to have a poorer quality of life than those families whose adolescents did not present malocclusion. CONCLUSIONS: Families of adolescents with malocclusion were more likely to report a worse OHRQoL.

Effect of year one orthodontic treatment on the quality of life of adolescents, assessed by the short form of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of the first 12 months of orthodontic treatment on the quality of life of Brazilian adolescents and to examine the evaluative properties of the short form of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This study involved a sample of 101 adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment with a fixed appliance. Participants were asked to answer the Brazilian version of the short form of the CPQ11-14 before treatment (T1) and 12 months after the placement of the fixed appliance (T2). Statistical analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Bonferroni correction for the overall score and the short form of the CPQ11-14 subscales. Responsiveness of the measure and the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) were also evaluated. RESULTS AND STATISTICS: Out of the 101 individuals originally admitted to this study, three were excluded due to cessation of treatment and failure to return the questionnaire, providing a response rate of 97.0%. Statistically, significant improvements were found in the overall score (P < 0.001) as well as in both emotional well-being (P < 0.001) and social well-being (P = 0.007) subscales. The reductions in score were associated with an effect of size showing moderate clinically meaningful changes in the overall score and in the functional limitations, emotional well-being and social well-being. The MCID was 3.35. CONCLUSION: The first 12 months of orthodontic treatment with a fixed appliance had a positive effect on the quality of life of western adolescents.