Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess overall and oral health QOL in children 8-14 with malocclusion who are anticipating orthodontic treatment. Methods: The 40-item Youth QOL scale (YQOL) (Topolski et al., 2002) was administered before or after the Child Oral Health QOL scale (COHQOL) (Jokovic et al., 2002, 2004). YQOL scores ranged from 0 (low) to 100 (high QOL), and COHQOL from 0 (high) to 100 (low QOL). Children were recruited from a study of Medicaid patients at a public health clinic (18 boys, 22 girls; mean age=10.85; 18 African American, 8 Asian, 6 Caucasian, and 8 other ethnic groups). They were diagnosed with at least two components of malocclusion. Results: Age and gender were not associated with any QOL dimensions or total scores. YQOL and COHQOL scales were not correlated with each other, except on two global COHQOL questions where children who rated themselves as having better overall oral health also scored higher on total YQOL (r=-.32, p<.04), as did those who thought their oral health had minimal effect on their lives (r=-.30, p<.06). YQOL was rarely associated with specific diagnoses, but COHQOL was significant. Those who had openbite reported more functional limitations (p<.0001) and lower total COHQOL (p<.01). Higher COHQOL was reported by children with Class II malocclusion, anterior crossbite, overjet, and overbite, especially in their functional limitations (p<.01). This may be because proportionally more children without Class II, anterior crossbite, overjet and overbite were diagnosed with openbite. Conclusion: Age and gender differences do not appear to affect QOL. Children with multiple malocclusions do not perceive negative impacts on their general QOL but report more problems with COHQOL. It is apparent that having an openbite affects a child's COHQOL, whether or not they have other types of malocclusion. Supported by NIDCR Grants T32DE007132 and U54DE14254.

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