Introduction:

There is enormous pressure on young people to attain “perfect looks” which can trigger them to actively seek orthodontic treatment to correct any malocclusion they may have. It is not always clear whether ideals of beauty are shared across different cultures and populations. Previous studies have been completed within the European Union (EU); this study was undertaken in Turkey, a country currently in accession talks with the EU.
Objective: To determine the social responses of young Turkish adults (18-24 yrs) in Turkey to varying malocclusions on a randomly allocated facial photograph of a young Turkish adult (18-24 yrs).
Null hypothesis: There is no difference in social responses to facial photographs displaying a normal dental appearance compared to those displaying a malocclusion.
Design and setting: A cross-sectional study surveying university students in the faculty canteens and lawns of Gazi University, Turkey.
Outcome measures: Social responses for ten personal characteristics were recorded on ten 10-cm visual analogue scales.
Results: 506 students were surveyed; only 469 surveys were valid. Female participants judged all photographs more favourably than males. Female photographs were judged more favourably than the male photographs. The female Class II div 1 appearance recorded the highest medians for extroversion, compliance and sociability. The male normal appearance recorded the highest median for only one characteristic, beauty. The null hypothesis was rejected (Kruskal-Wallis test – p<0.01).
Conclusion: The presence of a malocclusion in a young Turkish adult, in Turkey, influences the social responses of similarly aged individuals to him/her.