Can a malocclusion cause bullying‪?‬ orthodontics In summary

Join me for a summary exploring bullying and its
relationship with malocclusion, with a contemporary review of evidence showing
the psychological effects various malocclusions can cause young people. This
podcast is a summary of Andrew DiBiase’s lecture last year at the British
Orthodontic Conference. Andrew’s research explores what factors moderate
bullying, and what factors can be protective against bullying.

 

 

Introduction

 

·     
Nearly 1 in 3 patients report teasing or fear of
teasing as a motivating factor for orthodontic treatment Bauss 2023 AJODO

·     
1 in 7 patients attending our clinics are
bullied Seehra et al., 2011

·     
Most upsetting feature of bullying teeth 60.7%
Shaw

·     
13, 387 teenagers 25% report bullying

o  
Around 7% related to teeth

 

Definition of bullying: Olweus 1984

·     
Unprovoked and sustained campaign of aggression,
towards someone in order to hurt them

·     
Student exposed repeatedly to negative action on
the part of one or more students

o  
Harm, imbalance of power, organised, repetitive,
harm experienced

 

Who gets bullied and how?

·     
Younger more – 10 year olds 22%, 15 year olds 7%

·     
Girls are greater than boys by  5%

·     
Boys low athletic competence

o  
Judged on homour as well Langlois 2000

·     
Girls appearance

o  
We do judge girls on physical appearance Langlois
2000

o  
80% verbal - Cyber bullying – doest stop at the
school gate

 

Consequences of bullying

·     
Short term and long term effects

o  
Poorer academic performance

o  
Crime

o  
Self harm

§ 
26% within young population and teeth occupying
the reason in 1 in 5 young people Bitor 2022 AJODO

o  
Low self esteem

o  
Structural changes, medulla – related to fear
(peer victimisation and its impact on adolescent brain)

 

What features are more likely to result in bullying
Dibiase,   Jad Seehra 2014

·     
Greater rate of bullying  

·     
2 div 1: 18%

·     
Increased overjet 16% Tristão  SR 2020

·     
Deep overbite

·     
Missing teeth, anterior spacing

·     
IOTN AC 9 and 10

·     
Regression – younger worse

·     
Low athletic competence p 0.019

 

 

 

Conclusions

·     
Relationship between bullying and severe
malocclusion

·     
Schoolchildren who report being bothered by
their teeth report being lonelier at school and lower self-esteem

·     
Malocclusion has a greater impact on females
than males

·     
Malocclusion and peer relations is moderated by
self-esteem in girls, but not boys

·     
Good peer relations protect against the negative
impact of malocclusion in girls with low or average self-esteem