[Dental awareness among young adults]

Awareness of own dental appearance was studied in 150 18-year old individuals by assessing their ability to identify a photograph of own teeth among 17 alternative photographs. More than two thirds of the subjects identified their picture on first trial, which reflects a high level of dental awareness in the group. Consciousness about dental arrangement was high as 56% reported deviating tooth position as a primary cause for recognition. Other features, such as tooth morphology, discolouration and fractures were stated as reasons for identification by 26% of the individuals. The findings indicate that young adults are able to recognize a good orthodontic treatment result. Therefore, a high standard of the treatment delivered seems to be justified by the level of dental awareness in young adults.