Five-year follow-up study of adolescents with intact and restored dentitions: personality traits

The personality traits of 66 of a sample of 70 adolescents aged 19-21 years were re-examined after 5 years by means of a personality inventory (KSP). A total of 15 subjects had intact dentitions (group I), while 13 subjects had had some fillings in their teeth since the first examination (group FI), and 38 subjects had restored dentitions at both examinations (group F). The findings of this study are in agreement with those of the earlier study of Kampe, Edman and Molin (1986). On both occasions the subjects with restored dentitions had higher scores on the Somatic Anxiety and Muscular Tension scales. The differences were more pronounced for the female subjects. With regard to muscular tension, there was a significant interactive effect, with higher values for the female subjects in group F. Individuals with high scores for the Clinical Dysfunction Index (DiII and DiIII) also had the highest scores on the Somatic Anxiety and Muscular Tension scales, thus confirming the validity of the muscle palpation. The hypothesis of a correlation between personality factors and dental-filling therapy was neither accepted nor rejected. The subjects in group F had the highest scores on both occasions on the Somatic Anxiety and Muscular Tension scales, although the subjects in group FI had the lowest scores. Further studies are required, and another 5-year follow-up study of this material could be conclusive.