Abstract Aim This study aimed to examine associations between separate malocclusion traits and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among adolescents with malocclusion. It also aimed to assess sex differences in OHRQoL and whether sex modified the associations between malocclusion traits and OHRQoL. Methods We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study among adolescents aged 12–19 years. Two groups were recruited: a no malocclusion group from general dentistry clinics and a malocclusion group from specialist orthodontic clinics. The participants completed two OHRQoL instruments—the generic Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11–14 short form) and the orthodontic-specific Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ). Malocclusion was assessed based on intraoral photographs. Sociodemographic data were obtained from Statistics Sweden, and caries data from the national caries registry (SKaPa). Associations between malocclusion traits and OHRQoL were examined using linear regression models adjusted for confounders, with additional analyses of sex differences in OHRQoL and effect modification by sex. Results The final sample included 103 without malocclusion and 541 with malocclusion. After adjustment, anterior crowding was associated with poorer OHRQoL compared with other malocclusion traits in both instruments. Among those with malocclusion, females reported poorer OHRQoL than males, whereas no sex differences were observed in the no malocclusion group. In the sex-stratified analyses, associations between separate malocclusion traits and OHRQoL were largely similar across sexes. Conclusions Anterior crowding shows the strongest association with poorer OHRQoL. Females with malocclusion report poorer OHRQoL than males, but there is limited evidence of sex modifying associations between separate malocclusion traits and OHRQoL. Registration ClinicalTrials.gov on 02 Sept 2021 (registration number: NCT05038865).
Göranson et al. (Fri,) studied this question.