Daniela Kovačević Pavičić

Gender, age, and psychosocial context of the perception of facial esthetics.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of gender, age, and psychosocial context on the perception of facial esthetics. METHODS The study included 1,444 Caucasian subjects aged 16 to 85 years. Two sets of color photographs illustrating 13 male and 13 female Caucasian facial type alterations, representing different skeletal and dentoalveolar components of sagittal maxillary-mandibular relationships, were used to estimate the facial profile attractiveness. The examinees graded the profiles based on a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale. The examinees graded the profiles of their own sex only from a social perspective, whereas opposite sex profiles were graded both from the social and emotional perspective separately. RESULTS The perception of facial esthetics was found to be related to the gender, age, and psychosocial context of evaluation (p < 0.05). The most attractive profiles to men are the orthognathic female profile from the social perspective and the moderate bialveolar protrusion from the emotional perspective. The most attractive profile to women is the orthognathic male profile, when graded from the social aspect, and the mild bialveolar retrusion when graded from the emotional aspect. The age increase of the assessor results in a higher attractiveness grade. CONCLUSIONS When planning treatment that modifies the facial profile, the clinician should bear in mind that the perception of facial profile esthetics is a complex phenomenon influenced by biopsychosocial factors. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE This study allows a better understanding of the concept of perception of facial esthetics that includes gender, age, and psychosocial context.

Treatment Outcomes Based on Patients’ Self-Reported Measures after Receiving New Clasp or Precision Attachment-Retained Removable Partial Dentures

PURPOSE To evaluate effects of a treatment taking into consideration esthetics, chewing, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of two tooth replacement strategies for maxillary partially edentulous patients with clasp (C-RPD) and precision attachment (PA-RPD) retained removable partial dentures (RPD). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included 150 patients (72 men, 78 women) who received maxillary RPDs; 88 patients received clasp and 62 patients received precision attachment retained RPDs. Patients completed three questionnaires before treatment and again 3 months after treatment: the Orofacial Esthetic Scale (OES), the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), and the Chewing Function Questionnaire (CFQ). Statistical analysis comprised descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and two-factor ANOVA. RESULTS Both RPD treatments yielded better after-treatment summary scores when compared with the baseline scores (p < 0.01); however, better results were obtained in the PA-RPD group. Gender, as a single factor, did not yield significant effects; mutual interaction of retention type and gender yielded significant effects. The PA-RPD female group assessed esthetics, chewing function, and OHRQoL significantly better than males, and significantly worse than males in the C-RPD group. The covariate baseline scores yielded statistically significant effects; patients with worse pretreatment condition benefited more from both therapies. CONCLUSIONS Treatment outcomes were better in the PA-RPD group than the C-RPDs. Women showed greater concern for the treatment outcomes; their rates were significantly better than in male patients in the PA-RPD group; however, when their satisfaction was lower, their rates were significantly worse than in male patients (in the C-RPD group).

Tooth color assessment

Boja zuba u dentalnoj medicini znacajno utjece na doživljaj cjelokupne estetike zubi i lica. Percepcija boje ovisi o mnogim cimbenicima, kao sto

Development and validation of a new condition-specific instrument for evaluation of smile esthetics-related quality of life

OBJECTIVE Orofacial esthetics raises psychosocial issues. The purpose was to create and validate new short instrument for psychosocial impacts of altered smile esthetics. MATERIALS AND METHODS A team of an orthodontist, two prosthodontists, psychologist, and a dental student generated items that could draw up specific hypothetical psychosocial dimensions (69 items initially, 39 in final analysis). The sample consisted of 261 Caucasian subjects attending local high schools and university (26% male) aged 14 to 28 years that have self-administrated the designed questionnaire. Factorial analysis, Cronbachs alpha, Pearson correlation, paired samples t-test and analysis of variance were used for analyses of internal consistency, construct validity, responsiveness, and test-retest. RESULTS Three dimensions of psychosocial impacts of altered smile esthetics were identified: dental self-consciousness, dental self-confidence and social contacts that can be best fitted by 12 items, 4 items in each dimension. Internal consistency was good (α in range 0.85-0.89). Good stability in test-retest was confirmed. In responsiveness testing, tooth whitening induced increase in dental self-confidence (P = 0.002), but no significant changes in other dimensions. CONCLUSION The new instrument, Smile Esthetics-Related Quality of Life (SERQoL), is short and has proven to be a good indicator of psychosocial dimensions related to perception of smile esthetics. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Smile Esthetics-Related Quality of Life questionnaire might have practical validity when applied in esthetic dental clinical procedures.

Changes in Quality of Life Induced by Tooth Whitening are Moderated by Perfectionism: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

PURPOSE To explore the influence of perfectionism on the short-term changes in satisfaction with smile esthetics and quality of life (QoL) induced by tooth whitening. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 60 subjects were analyzed: 30 in the active group, in which the subjects anterior teeth were whitened with a photoactivated gel, and 30 in the placebo group. The Smile Esthetics-Related Quality of Life and Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale questionnaires were administered to all participants. RESULTS The active group demonstrated an increase in dental self-confidence and a decrease in dissatisfaction with color (P < .05). The amount of color change did not correlate linearly with change in dissatisfaction or with QoL. In subjects with higher perfectionism, increasing the color change led to more decrease in dental self-consciousness. CONCLUSION Perfectionism moderates perception of smile esthetics.

SALIVARY FLOW RATE, ORAL YEAST COLONIZATION AND DENTAL STATUS IN INSTITUTIONALIZED AND NON-INSTITUTIONALIZED ELDERLY

Elderly people, especially those institutionalized in long-term care facilities, are at risk of various oral diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of hyposalivation and colonization/oral fungal infection of oral cavity with yeasts, as well as dental status in institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly. The study included 280 institutionalized and 61 non-institutionalized elderly people. Salivary flow rate, oral colonization with yeasts/oral infection and dental status were assessed and compared between the groups. The institutionalized elderly had a significantly lower salivary flow rate (p=0.035). Oral colonization with yeasts was more frequently found in institutionalized elderly (p<0.001) as compared with non-institutionalized elderly. A negative correlation was found between decreased salivary flow rate and oral yeast colonization and oral fungal infection in both the institutionalized (rs=-0.58; p<0.05) and non-institutionalized (rs=-0.52; p<0.05) groups. A significant difference in DMFT index was observed between the two groups (p<0.001). A negative correlation between decreased salivary flow rate and dental status was found in both the institutionalized (rs=-0.22; p<0.05) and non-institutionalized (rs=-0.56; p<0.05) groups. The results revealed a significantly higher level of hyposalivation and oral yeast colonization and poorer dental status in the institutionalized group as compared with the non-institutionalized group of elderly people.