Psychosocial Impact of Dental Appearance and Associated Factors among 15 year old School Children in Anuradhapura Municipal Council Area, in Sri Lanka

Psychosocial impact that emanate from common oral disorders related to „Dental Appearance‟ is an emerging issue among today‟s adolescents. Thus establishing the significance of psychosocial impact is a priority area in oral health research. Objectives: The aim of the present study is to quantify the psychosocial impact of dental appearance and to understand the oral health status, oral health needs and socio-demographic characteristics of the adolescents who subjected to those implications. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among 626, 15 year old school children from nine government schools in Anuradhapura Municipal Council Area selected using Cluster sampling method. The data were collected using the modified version of Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetic Questionnaire (PIDAQ) which was self-administered. Results: Thirty Seven percent of students were psychosocially affected due to their dental appearance. Sex, type of school attending, and highest level of parental educational attainment were significantly associated with psychosocial impact. Female adolescents were more affected than their male counterparts. A social gradient in psychosocial impact was identified with children from lower social background being the most seriously affected. Students in mixed schools were less psychosocially affected than the students in single sex schools. Perceived oral health status and perceived need for oral care also emerged as significant predictors. Conclusion: Psychosocial dimensions, perceived oral health problems, perceived need for oral care and some socio-demographic characteristics should be considered simultaneously during prioritization of the oral health needs of adolescents.