Wahrnehmung von fazialen und dentalen Asymmetrien und ihre Auswirkungen auf die mundgesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität von Kindern und Jugendlichen

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of facial and dental asymmetries in children and adolescents and how these asymmetries affect their psychosocial and emotional well-being. Methods The study included 66 children and adolescents (7–15 years) with a deviation between the maxillary and mandibular dental midlines of > 0.5 mm. The soft tissues of the face were scanned using stereophotogrammetry. Psychosocial and emotional impairments were assessed using the German version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ-G8-10 and 11–14). Results The mean midline deviation of the study group was 2.3 mm with no significant gender differences. Girls perceived facial asymmetry significantly more often than boys ( p < 0.01). However, stereophotogrammetry showed no significant differences in facial morphology between subjects who perceived their face as asymmetrical and those who perceived it as symmetrical. Interestingly, we observed a significant correlation between the deviation of the dental midline and the lateral displacement of gonion ( p < 0.05) and cheilion ( p < 0.01). Psychosocial and emotional impairment was significantly higher in girls than in boys ( p < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation with the measured facial asymmetries. In contrast, the CPQ subscale score was 2.68 points higher in individuals with a dental midline shift ≥ 3 mm ( p < 0.01), independent of age and gender. Conclusion Although girls perceived facial asymmetries more strongly than boys do, this perception could not be objectified by extraoral measurements. A midline shift of 3 mm or more had a negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life of affected children and adolescents.