Published Paper Details:

Malocclusion and dentofacial anomalies impact not only oral function but also dental aesthetics and psychosocial well-being. The relationship between clinical orthodontic needs and patients' psychological profiles plays a crucial role in shaping both the motivation for seeking treatment and the perceived outcomes. This paper explores aesthetic perceptions, psychosocial functioning, and self-esteem in relation to malocclusion, while also reviewing validated assessment tools, examining evidence on treatment effects, and discussing the associated clinical and ethical implications. A narrative synthesis of literature published between 2000 and 2025 was conducted, including cross-sectional, cohort, and longitudinal studies that evaluated aesthetic concerns, self-esteem, quality of life, and treatment satisfaction among orthodontic patients. The findings indicate that dental aesthetics serve as a primary motivator for orthodontic treatment and are strongly linked to self-esteem, social confidence, and oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQOL). Validated instruments such as the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need-Aesthetic Component (IOTN-AC), Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) demonstrate strong psychometric validity and reliability. While clinical indices of malocclusion severity show moderate correlations with psychosocial effects, individual psychological factors often exert a stronger influence on patients' experiences and treatment outcomes. Orthodontic interventions have been shown to produce significant improvements in self-esteem, social functioning, and emotional well-being; however, these benefits are influenced by factors such as patient communication, treatment expectations, demographic characteristics, gender, cultural perceptions of beauty, and previous orthodontic experiences. Overall, a biopsychosocial approach that integrates objective clinical assessments with validated patient-reported psychosocial measures provides a more holistic, ethical, and patient-centered framework for orthodontic care. Future research should focus on culturally diverse populations and the long-term psychosocial outcomes of orthodontic treatment, particularly as patients transition into adulthood.