The demand for orthodontic treatment to correct malocclusion has increased worldwide. A main cause of applying for orthodontics treatment may arise from mental disorders, such as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between BDD, the real need for orthodontic treatment based on the ICON index, and inquiry about orthodontics treatment in females.
Method: In a case-control study, 414 women from the public outpatient dental clinic of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, completed a demographic questionnaire, Beck depression inventory (BDI II), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Modified for BDD (BDD-YBOCS). A specialist also determined the ICON index for each participant.
Results: Among 414 subjects, 52 patients (31 in the orthodontics and 21 in the control group) (p=0.182) had a BDD-YBOCS score of 20 or above. The frequency of BDD, based on a definite diagnosis by an interview with a psychiatric specialist, was 6.28% among orthodontic patients, which was significantly more than that of other dental patients (p<0.05). The mean ICON index score was found to have a significant difference between the orthodontic patients and the controls (p<0.001). No correlation was found between the severity of ICON and BDD-YBOCS scores in all participants (p=0.804), in the cases (p=0.655), or the controls (p=0.403).
Conclusion: The current study found no correlation between ICON and BDD score. However, a significantly higher rate of BDD subjects receiving orthodontic procedures suggests using the BDD-YBOCS survey in dental clinics to screen patients suspected of having BDD for further psychological management.