Impact of metal and ceramic fixed orthodontic appliances on judgments of beauty and other face-related attributes

• Published in: American journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics Vol. 145; no. 2; pp. 203 - 206
• Main Authors: Fonseca, Lílian Martins, Araújo, Telma Martins de, Santos, Aline Rôde, Faber, Jorge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Mosby, Inc 01.02.2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Attitude to Health; Beauty; Ceramics - chemistry; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Alloys - chemistry; Dental Materials - chemistry; Dentistry; Extraversion (Psychology); Face - anatomy & histology; Female; Humans; Intelligence; Judgment; Male; Middle Aged; Orthodontic Appliance Design - psychology; Orthodontic Brackets; Orthodontic Wires; Self Concept; Smiling - psychology; Social Desirability; Social Distance; Stainless Steel - chemistry; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0889-5406; 1097-6752
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2013.10.016

Introduction Physical attributes, behavior, and personal ornaments exert a direct influence on how a person's beauty and personality are judged. The aim of this study was to investigate how people who wear a fixed orthodontic appliance see themselves and are seen by others in social settings. Methods A total of 60 adults evaluated their own smiling faces in 3 different scenarios: without a fixed orthodontic appliance, wearing a metal fixed orthodontic appliance, and wearing an esthetic fixed orthodontic appliance. Furthermore, 15 adult raters randomly assessed the same faces in standardized front-view facial photographs. Both the subjects and the raters answered a questionnaire in which they evaluated criteria on a numbered scale ranging from 0 to 10. The models judged their own beauty, and the raters assigned scores to beauty, age, intelligence, ridiculousness, extroversion, and success. Results The self-evaluations showed decreased beauty scores ( P  <0.0001) when a fixed orthodontic appliance, especially a metal one, was being worn. There was no statistically significant difference between the 3 situations in the 6 criteria analyzed. Conclusions A fixed orthodontic appliance did not affect how personal attributes are assessed. However, fixed orthodontic appliances apparently changed the subjects' self-perceptions when they looked in the mirror.