Comparing Oral Health-related Quality of Life, Oral Function, and Orofacial Esthetics among Adolescents with and without Malocclusion Visiting Tertiary Dental Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Introduction: Malocclusion is not actually a disease but rather a set of different levels of deviations from optimal occlusion. When evaluating the impact of a malocclusion, it is important to consider the different domains that can be affected and their relationships to severity of malocclusion. Considerable amount of research has been conducted but not much literature is available regarding this issue among adolescents; therefore, a need is felt for conducting this study. Aim: Comparing oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), oral function, and orofacial esthetics among adolescents with and without malocclusion visiting Tertiary Dental Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire study was conducted from June 2023 to May 2024 among 100 subjects with a need for orthodontic treatment (dental health component of the index of orthodontic treatment need [IOTN-DHC] grade 4 and 5) and 100 subjects with normal occlusion (IOTN-DHC grade 1), aged 13–19 years. A questionnaire containing three parts was used: The Oral Health Impact Profile-S14, Jaw Functional Limitational Scale,-20 and Orofacial Esthetic Scale. Data collected were entered in Microsoft Excel 2007 version and analyzed using the SPSS software version 26 and P < 0.05 statistically significant. Results: Adolescents with malocclusions were more often embarrassed by their mouth and teeth compared to controls. Esthetically, adolescents with malocclusions were more negatively affected by the appearance of the mouth and teeth as well as the overall facial appearance. Conclusion: Malocclusions clearly affect the adolescents with need for orthodontic treatment in this study. It influences their OHRQoL in the psychosocial impact dimension. Esthetically, they perceive their oral and facial appearance as worse compared to controls.