Personality traits of adolescents with intact and restored dentitions

Abstract

The personality pattern of 29 subjects aged 15 years with intact dentitions was studied by means of a personality inventory (KSP) and compared with that of 41 subjects of the same age with repaired dentitions. The subjects with repaired dentitions showed significantly higher scores in the somatic anxiety and the muscular tension scales; that is, dental restorations were commoner in subjects with autonomic and motor disturbances related to anxiety-proneness. Furthermore, subjects in the control group with high clinical dysfunction index (CDI) had higher scores in the muscular tension, the inhibition of aggression, and the irritability scales. The finding of higher scores in the muscular tension scale was validated in the clinical examination. Possible explanations of the differences in the personality patterns between individuals with intact and repaired dentitions are discussed. Clenching and gnashing of the teeth was also studied in relation to the personality variables. Teeth clenchers in both groups were more anxiety-prone, less self-assertive, and less socialized.