Association of malocclusion, happiness, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in schoolchildren.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of malocclusion on children's oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) and self-reported happiness.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of 12-year-old schoolchildren from Santa Maria, South Brazil. Four calibrated examiners carried out clinical exams to evaluate malocclusion [Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI)], dental caries (DMFT), and dental trauma (O'Brien classification, used in the Children's dental health survey in the UK, 1994).

The influence of normative and subjective oral health status on schoolchildren's happiness.

Background: Traditional methods to measure oral health based on clinical standards are limited because they do not consider psychosocial and functional aspects of oral health. It has been recommended that these measures need to be supplemented by data obtained from patients regarding their individual perceptions on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Happiness is a multidimensional construct comprising both emotional and cognitive domains, and has been defined as "the degree to which an individual judges the overall quality of his or her life as a whole favorably".