Dental aesthetics and assessment of appearance satisfaction in children

Aim: The aim of the work is to examine the possibility of perception of dental aesthetics and satisfaction with one's own appearance in children of different ages. Materials and methods: In this research, 80 children, aged 3-16 years, participated, none of whom were orthodontic patients. The research consisted of an interview, in which the children were asked questions, and a drawing on the topic of what is a "beautiful and ugly" tooth for them. The questions were designed to reflect children's perception and attitude related to dental aesthetics, as well as satisfaction with their own appearance in the context of dental aesthetics. The drawings and answers were classified according to Piaget's classification of cognitive development, according to the age of the subjects. The questions for the parents were related to the parents' practice related to visits to the dentist and previous caries experience in children. Results: The results of the research showed that all respondents, regardless of gender and age, showed the ability to perceive and express their attitudes regarding the concepts of "beautiful" and "ugly" in the context of dental aesthetics, as well as to express their attitude, knowledge and satisfaction/dissatisfaction with one's own appearance. Conclusion: The research results suggest that the experience of beauty and the feelings associated with dental aesthetics are universal, independent of gender and age. Children have the ability to distinguish what they consider beautiful or ugly, regardless of age, and are able to clearly express attitudes related to satisfaction with their own appearance.