Introduction Studies on prevalence of malocclusion and self-esteem among young adults are sparse in Malaysia. The objectives of this study were to highlight the type of Angle's malocclusion most commonly prevalent in young adults of International Medical University (IMU) of age 18 to 25 years as well as to assess the social impact of malocclusion in them. Another objective was to identify the young adults’ satisfaction level with the appearance of the teeth and self-perceived orthodontic treatment needs using a questionnaire and to correlate groups of malocclusion with self-esteem. Materials and methods All 142 subjects were randomly selected from the name list of different cohorts of students in IMU. Study information was provided to the subjects along with the consent form and two questionnaires about global self-esteem (GSE) and social impact of malocclusion. Intraoral clinical examination was performed using disposable mouth mirror, probe and metal ruler in presence of artificial illumination. Angle's molar relation and other occlusal characteristics were recorded. Results Angle's class I malocclusion was most prevalent (48.6%), followed by class III (26.8%), class II (16.2%) and normal occlusion (8.5%). Analysis of variance Anova test showed no significant association between Angle's malocclusion and GSE with mean self-esteem score of 14.1, 15.5 and 13.8 for class I, II and III malocclusion respectively. Conclusion The satisfaction with the teeth appearance (0.026) and social impact of malocclusion (0.004) had significant association. How to cite this article Sheikh A, Mathew T, Siew TB. Dental Malocclusion among University Students and Its Effect on Selfesteem: A Cross-sectional Study. World J Dent 2014;5(4):204-208.

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Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) based dental prosthetic materials have an inferior transverse resistance value and a high water-retention capacity. These drawbacks cause frequent prosthesis fractures both inside and outside the mouth, which require the remaking or repair of the prosthesis. The mechanical and physical durability of the polymer matrix can be improved by the incorporation of a multifunctional filler. In this study, we focused on the reinforcing effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the flexural properties of PMMA. Apart from that, the transport behavior of water and saliva through this composite matrix was also studied extensively. Morphological analyses with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy imaging techniques confirmed the uniform distribution of nanoparticles in the matrix with an increased surface roughness proportionate to the amount of AgNPs. The flexural strength and modulus were enhanced by the addition of up to 5 wt % AgNPs (p < 0.05); we also observed a significant increase in the fracture resistance. The SEM micrographs of the fractured ends of AgNP-reinforced groups had smaller cracks compared to the large multidirectional cracks in the unreinforced group. The diffusion of oral fluid through the composite was investigated in detail as a function of the AgNP content, the nature of the solvent (water or saliva), and the temperature (5, 28, 37, or 60 C). The water and saliva uptake, diffusion, sorption, and permeation constants were investigated and were found to decrease with increasing AgNP loading. The transport properties could have been related to the morphology of the nanocomposites and followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. At high concentrations, the AgNPs formed a local filler-filler network in the polymer matrix. This network hindered the transport of water and saliva through the polymer. The outcome deduced from this study confirmed that the reinforced nanocomposites improved the durability of the denture base and could be an effective replacement for the conventional denture base.

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