Pubblicato da Redazione il 6 dic 2013 - ID Articolo: 37518 The Impact of Dental aesthetics among adolescents Settineri Salvatore 1 , Mento Carmela 2 , Rizzo Amelia 3 The relationship between global self-esteem and dental self-confidence suggests the need to draw attention to psychological aspects involved in the treatment in order to promote not only the dental health, but also the psychological well-being. Background The concern for some imaginary defect in the physical appearance, more often referred to the face, in a person with normal appearance is called, according to the DSM-IV, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). It occurs between adolescence and early adulthood, and about 2% of these patients resort to visits dermatology, plastic and dental interventions in a continuous, excessive and ineffective way to satisfy them both physically and psychologically. During the adolescence, a delicate and transitional stage of physical and psychological development to new environmental and psychological structures, some elements of appearance and, more specifically, dental aesthetics have great importance for the adolescent’s self-image and self-esteem (de Paula et al., 2009). Furthermore, malocclusion significantly affects the appearance of the smile, which is a part of notable facial attractiveness and an effective way of expressing emotions. Therefore, the aesthetic impact of malocclusion may have a more or less significant consequence on the adolescent’s quality of life, can impair social interaction, interpersonal relationships, and psychological well-being; until producing feelings of inferiority (Broder et al., 2000). Our study, recently published in the Indian Journal of Research [ Paripex article ] , aimed to verify the relationship between the dysmorphic level and the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics among adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment. 1 Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Messina salvatore.settineri@unime.it 2 Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Messina cmento@unime.it 3 PhD student in Psychological Sciences, University of Messina amrizzo@unime.it 1