Tag: Cosmetic Damage

In its severe forms, dental fluorosis causes highly disfiguring brown and black staining of the teeth, which can cause chronic embarrassment and social anxiety for the impacted child. In 1984, a panel from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) warned that severe dental fluorosis would place a child at risk of psychological problems due to the “loss […]

Any condition that can cause children to be embarrassed about their physical appearance can have significant consequences on their self-esteem and confidence.  Researchers have repeatedly found that “physical appearance [is] the best predictor of self-esteem” in adolescents, (Harter 2000) and that facial attractiveness, particularly the appearance of one’s teeth, is a key component of one’s physical […]