The Influence of Bullying and Malocclusion on the Quality of Life of Adolescents

Objective: To evaluate the association of bullying and malocclusion with the quality of life of adolescents and their families. Methods: 93 young people with an average age of 13.7 years participated in this research which, at the beginning of orthodontic treatment, presented some type of malocclusion that compromised facial aesthetics. The classification of malocclusion was performed by analyzing the initial orthodontic documentation. The impact of malocclusion on quality of life was measured by self-administered questionnaires CPQ (Child Perceptions Questionnaire) and PPQ (Parental Perceptions Questionnaire) which contained questions grouped into 4 domains: oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional well-being and social well-being. The Kidscape questionnaire was applied to assess the occurrence of bullying. The statistical analysis of the data obtained was by means of summary measures, using the Spearman coefficient and the Kruskal-Wallis tests or Fisher's exact test. The level of significance adopted was 5%. Results: The occurrence of bullying related to malocclusion was observed in 44 young people interviewed, and in 86.36% of these adolescents, the phenomenon happened before orthodontic treatment and had negative consequences on quality of life, especially in the related item of emotional and social well-being. The malocclusions that most related to Bullying were in Class II descending order, followed by Class III and finally the deep overbite. Conclusions: There was an association between the occurrence of bullying, the type of malocclusion and an improvement considered in the quality of life of adolescents after beginning orthodontic treatment.