Abstract: Objective: To explore the correlation between malocclusion types and the incidence of body dysmorphic disorder in young university students, and to guide university students to actively face the formation of malocclusion and provide a clinical treatment basis for students with both body dysmorphic disorder and malocclusion. Methods: A total of 1628 students in Jingchu University of Technology were randomly selected to screen students with malocclusion. Angle's classification of malocclusion was used to determine the number of three types of malocclusion. The Scale of Satisfaction with the Body Image (SSBI) was used to investigate, analyze, and rate the relationship between different types of malocclusion and body dysmorphic disorder. Results: The incidences of Classes I, II, and III malocclusion in young university students were 64.41%, 19.52%, and 16.07%, respectively. The detection rates of students with body dysmorphic disorder in those with Classes I, II, and III malocclusion were 11.13%, 19.73%, and 28.93%, respectively. In the 8 dimensions of the SSBI, the scores of students with Classes I, II, and III malocclusion in each dimension went higher successively. Among these dimensions, the differences in scores of emotional impairment, social interaction and changes in physical appearance were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The incidence of body dysmorphic disorder in young university students with Classes I, II, and III malocclusion went higher successively. Emotional impairment, social interaction, and changes in physical appearance were the most urgent problems for university students with body dysmorphic disorder, and psychological assessment in students with Class III malocclusion should be particularly emphasized. This study provides a theoretical basis for the psychological intervention of young university students in clinical orthodontic treatment.

Key words: Malocclusion, Body dysmorphic disorder, Young university students