[Understanding teenagers to better support them during orthodontic treatment]

Orthodontists are regularly consulted by adolescents seeking treatment. They must convince these patients of the need to commit to a lengthy therapy which will raise problems of social identity precisely at a vital period in the development of their personality as they advance towards adulthood. The author highlights the three dimensions - sexual, body-centered and social - which contribute to the building of this psychic identity.

The author has drawn on his research into the psychology of adolescents and on personal clinical investigations.

These three identities are sufficiently relevant to enable practitioners to meet the need for compassion and empathy demanded by their clinical work. Effectively, listening to a patient entails listening for "something", failing which therapy can turn out to be inefficacious.