[Psychological aspects of orthodontic treatment]

Psychical factors are often contributory determinants of success or failure of treatment. The orthodontist should therefore dispose of basic psychological knowledge to give his patients help in an entire sense. The psychosocial impact of malocclosion should represent a major factor in the decision to obtain treatment, because what is most important in terms of psychosocial response to malocclusion is not the absolute degree of disfigurement that results from malocclusion, but rather how the individual perceives and evaluates the esthetic effects of these dentofacial problems and their orthodontic correction.