Etiology of Malocclusion and its Relationship with Quality of Life

Malocclusions occupy the third position in the scale of priorities and oral health problems in Brazil and may be caused by atypical neuromuscular patterns determined by deleterious habits, modifying the position of the teeth and promoting changes in the Stomatognathic System. Thus, the concept of oral health-related quality of life emerged in the orthodontic literature to explain the professionally determined variability and the patient's determined need for orthodontic treatment. More precisely, the concept of oral health-related quality of life is the interaction between oral health variables, such as biological and physiological functional status, as well as personal attributes such as function, social and psychological functioning, which represent the multidimensional and individual perception of health. . In this way, it describes the pattern of orality and related tissues that allow an individual to eat, speak, socialize, without active illness, without discomfort or embarrassment, and that contribute to general well-being. And based on the studies researched, it was possible to verify that malocclusion does interfere with the quality of life of individuals.