To assess the prevalence, intensity, and extent of sociodental impacts attributed to malocclusions by sex, socioeconomic status, and normative orthodontic treatment need level. One thousand sixty 15- to 16-year-old adolescents without history of previous or current orthodontic treatment were randomly selected from all secondary schools in Bauru, Brazil. Interviews were done to collect information about sociodemographic variables and sociodental impacts on quality of life attributed to malocclusions using the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances Index. Adolescents were also clinically examined using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Statistical comparison by covariables was performed using chi(2) and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The prevalence of condition-specific impacts (CSIs) was 24.6%. Among adolescents with CSIs, 52.1% reported severe or very severe intensity and 77.4% reported impacts on only one daily performance, commonly, smiling. The prevalence, intensity, and extent of CSIs differed by level of normative orthodontic treatment need but not by sex or socioeconomic status. However, among adolescents with definite normative orthodontic treatment need, 24.5% reported CSIs of severe or very severe intensity, whereas among those with moderate or slight/no need, 13.0% and 7.9%, respectively, experienced CSIs of severe or very severe intensity. Untreated malocclusions have physical, psychological, and social consequences on quality of life of Brazilian adolescents. However, because adolescents with a definite normative orthodontic need are considered by orthodontists as in need of care, these results raise the issue of whether all these adolescents should be considered for orthodontic attention since most had no perceived impacts on performing their daily life activities.
