Q Mostofsky—Behavioral Dentistry Behavioral Dentistry, Second Edition. Edited by David I. Mostofsky and Farida Fortune. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 8 Cosmetic Dentistry: Concerns with Facial Appearance and Body Dysmorphic Disorder 1 Ad De Jongh Key points • The more dissatisied people are with their teeth, the greater their desire for treatment to correct a perceived imperfection. • The desire to make changes to appearance could be a symptom of a lack of self-worth, nega- tive self-image, or a psychiatric condition called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). • It is important to remain vigilant and practice restraint with patients with unusual esthetic requests. • There is no support for the notion that cosmetic dental treatment leads to long-term improve- ments of happiness or quality of life. Appearance is considered important by many as it is assumed to provide the opportunity for obtaining attention, love, recognition, and vali- dation from the environment. Indeed, attrac- tiveness appears to be associated with achieving happiness in life. Research has shown that the more attractive a person is, the more likely it is that he or she will achieve greater profes- sional status, a higher income, and more happiness (Umberson & Hughes, 1987). The additional attention attractive children receive from people, not only from parents but also— for instance—from teachers at school, may create opportunities for them to lourish, thereby stimulating self-conidence and intelligence. This results in physically attractive people being Mostofsky_2060_c08_main.indd 1 8/22/2013 5:17:11 PM