Can a malocclusion cause bullying?

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