Self-concept, Class II malocclusion, and early treatment

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Psychology

Background:

• Increased overjet is linked to social challenges like teasing and low self-concept.
• Early orthodontic intervention for Class II malocclusion aims to improve appearance, social acceptance, and self-concept.
• The effectiveness of early treatment on self-concept requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the self-concept of children with increased overjet before and during early orthodontic treatment.
• To determine if early treatment for Class II malocclusion impacts children's self-concept.
• To explore the relationship between malocclusion severity and self-concept.

Main Methods:

• The Piers-Harris self-concept scale was administered to 208 children (ages 7-15) with increased overjet before treatment.
• A subset of 87 children were reassessed after 15 months of early growth modification.
• Statistical analyses examined associations between self-concept scores, overjet magnitude, age, and malocclusion features.

Main Results:

• Children with increased overjet had mean self-concept scores above the population norm.
• No significant association was found between self-concept scores and the degree of overjet or patient age.
• Early orthodontic treatment did not result in a change in mean self-concept scores, nor was improvement linked to malocclusion correction.

Conclusions:

• Children with Class II malocclusion and increased overjet do not typically present with low self-concept.
• Early orthodontic treatment does not generally enhance self-concept in this patient group within the observed timeframe.
• The assumption that early treatment significantly boosts self-concept requires re-evaluation.