Effect of personality traits on the association between clinically assessed malocclusion and the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics

Abstract

Objective We aimed to assess whether personality traits affect the relationship between malocclusion and the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics and whether they act as its mediators or moderators. Settings and sample population The cross‐sectional study included 252 participants with permanent dentition (62% female) aged 12‐39 years. Materials and Methods The Big Five Inventory, the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire and the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need were used. Moderation and mediation were tested by hierarchical stepwise multiple linear regression. Results Malocclusion was the most significant predictor of dental self‐confidence (DSC), aesthetic concern (AC), social impact (SI) and psychological impact (PI), accounting for 12%‐28% of respective variability (P < .05). Adult age, male sex and higher neuroticism and agreeableness were additional predictors of higher DSC (P < .05). Adolescent age was a predictor of higher AC, SI and PI, and female sex of higher AC and PI (P < .05). Mediation by personality traits was not proven, however, openness, agreeableness and neuroticism were moderators. A tendency of decrease in AC was associated with an increase in malocclusion complexity in adolescents lower in openness and decrease in SI in adolescents with lower agreeableness. There was also a tendency of higher increase of AC associated with an increase of malocclusion degree in adults higher in neuroticism. Conclusion In adolescents, openness and agreeableness moderate the relationship between malocclusion and AC and SI, respectively. Neuroticism is a moderator of the association between malocclusion and AC in adults.