How Do Schoolchildren View Other Children Who Have Discolored Teeth?

Abstract

Objectives: Facial look and expression affect how people are viewed by others. This study aimed to evaluate how schoolchildren in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates view their peers who have discolored teeth.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study using randomized cluster sampling of Sharjah public schools was conducted. A previously developed and validated social attribute questionnaire was utilized to determine children’s dental appearancerelated judgments. Children aged 11–14 years were given photographs of subjects either with discolored teeth or without, and they were asked to rate them using six positive and five negative signifiers. The total attribute score (TAS) ranged from 11 (most negative) to 44 (most positive). A linear regression analysis and t-tests were performed to determine the effects of gender and age in mean TAS.

Results: TAS was significantly lower among discolored teeth photographs when compared with photographs without teeth discoloration (P = 0.004). TAS was found to be significantly higher with increased age (P = 0.035), but gender had no significant effect.

Conclusion: Teeth discoloration resulted in more negative social judgment between Sharjah schoolchildren and their peers.