PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AESTHETIC DENTAL TREATMENT

Objective: To demonstrate that aesthetic restorative dental treatment, using the porcelain laminate veneer, has a positive effect on the sel f-esteem of a patient. Methods: A study group of 17 patients, unhappy with their dental appearance, were assessed psychologically at the pre -operative, immediate post operative and 6 month review stages. Porcel ain laminate veneer restorations were used to improve the dental aesth etics for the patients in the study group. A comparison group of 27 su bjects, without a dental appearance problem, were also psychologically assessed at comparable intervals. The assessments included Cattell's 16PF Personality Inventory, a Body-Esteem index, a computer administer ed version of the Repertory Grid technique and semi-structured intervi ews. Results: The results showed that there were no significant differ ences between the study and comparison groups on any first or second-o rder factor of the 16PF. However, highly significant changes in a posi tive direction (p < 0.005) were observed in the study group in respons es to a Body-Esteem questionnaire at each stage in the procedure. Comp arison group changes were not significant. Repertory Grid analyses sho wed a significant overall convergence in the study group compared with the comparison group. There were also significant positive shifts amo ngst the study group in the normalised ratings of ''self'' on several of the constructs. Interviews confirmed the Repertory Grid findings. C onclusions: The study shows that aesthetic restorative treatment has a positive effect on patients' self-esteem. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.