Straighter Teeth Will not Boost Mental Health

Ivanhoe Newswire
Thursday, January 25, 2007; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Contrary to popular belief among orthodontists, straightening a kid's teeth won't really improve his outlook on life when he's older.

British investigators, who followed up on a group of children who were assessed for orthodontic needs when they were 11 or 12, noted little difference in psychological health among those who did and didn't get the recommended treatment.

The study was conducted among around 340 people about 20 years after their initial orthodontic checkup. All were assessed using standard mental health questionnaires and scales. The investigators also looked at the people's teeth and asked them about their satisfaction with their physical appearance.

While improved self-esteem was linked to better psychological health, straighter teeth didn't appear to have much to do with it.

"When prior need for treatment 20 years earlier was taken into account, there was little objective evidence to support the belief that orthodontics improves psychological well-being in adulthood," write the authors. "In addition, lack of orthodontic treatment when there was a prior need for treatment did not lead to psychological difficulties in later life."

They write these results suggest, "Other psychological and social factors are of greater significance for the maintenance of general health and psychological well-being."

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SOURCE: British Journal of Health Psychology, 2007;12:17-49