Dental esthetics and its effect on psychological well-being in a university hospital in Riyadh, KSA

Background:
The importance of dental esthetics among young adults is significantly increasing, affecting their self-confidence and self-image, especially with the major role being played by the media.


Objective:
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of dental esthetics on the psychological well-being of adult patients attending a university hospital in Saudi Arabia.


Materials and Methods:
A total of 613 patients attending university hospitals participated in this study by answering the online and printed version of the questionnaires. A Psychosocial Impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire was used in self-assessment for satisfaction with dental esthetics, and a self-perceived dental treatment needs. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests.


Results:
The participants reported smile satisfaction with satisfied (52.4%) and highly satisfied (22.8%), while only 24.8% reported dissatisfaction. Tooth color was the most common cause of dissatisfaction (49.3%).


Conclusions:
The majority of the participants were satisfied with their smiles, however, a large percentage are still in need of further esthetic dental treatments as their smiles have a major impact on their social and psychological well-being. Hence, more public awareness programs should be directed to educate our community to make better choices of cosmetic dental procedures.