perceptions of the dentofacial complex and the associated psychosocial needs are relevant to the consumers of orthodontic care. Treatment is, therefore, often influenced more by demand than by need. Carnegie wrote a book, How to Win Friends and Influence People in which he wrote: One of the most important ways was to smile, "…a real smile, a heartwarming smile, one that comes from the heart." Recently, the field of orthodontics has experienced a "paradigm shift" to focus more on esthetics, with specific emphasis on the soft tissues around the mouth. 1 Angle, the father of modern orthodontics, believed that ideal dental and facial esthetics would naturally result from developing an ideal occlusion. 2 Smile perception is one of the primary goals of orthodontics in the attainment of ideal facial and dental esthetics. Today, most orthodontists understand that the attainment of optimal esthetics is not that simple, so obtaining a balance between ideal tooth position and its effect on soft tissues of the face is extremely important. 3 The psychological effect of malocclusion is so severe that sometimes it becomes a social handicap. Well-aligned teeth and a pleasing smile carry positive status at all social levels, whereas irregular and protruding teeth have a negative psychological impact. The impact on the physical "self-concept" of an individual with dental malocclusion and orthodontic problems also plays a significant role. 4 The effects of malocclusion differ depending on the severity of the condition. Mild problems need little treatment or cosmetic dentistry help. On the contrary, severe malocclusion requires orthodontic treatment. Some patients may suffer from difficulty in eating and speaking, while others are embarrassed due to their crooked or protruding teeth. Although a poor bite does not usually submit to the risks of tooth decay and periodontal diseases, the patient may still develop more teeth problems because it is harder to clean misaligned teeth. Orthodontic treatment for malocclusion eliminates strain on the teeth, jaws, and muscles and thus, reduces the symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders and lessens the risk of breaking a tooth. 5 The present study is an attempt to correlate the effect of esthetics with the psychology of professional college students and to know their perception of smile esthetics and irregularly placed teeth.

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