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Abstract

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: For young adults, dental attractiveness is a key factor that influences social relationships. The objective of present study was to find out the influence of malocclusion in development of new relationships. METHODOLOGY: In this cross sectional study, photographs of 6 willing young adults (3 boys, 3 girls) were used. Of these, photographs of 2 adults (1 boy, 1 girl) were manipulated (Photoshop, CS3, Adobe System) to produce photographs of different types of orthodontic conditions. A total of 90 evaluator age 20 to 25 years were asked to evaluate these photographs on a questionnaire based on Visual Analog Scale. Data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 21.0). RESULTS: All malocclusions interfered negatively in development of new social relationships among adults, with inadequate incisal show at smile, being the type of malocclusion that led to the highest level of rejection (P =0.001). CONCLUSION: All malocclusions interfered negatively in development of new social relationships among adults, with some having more influence than others. KEY WORDS: Malocclusion; Dental esthetics; Occlusion.