Queen’s to conduct facial disfigurement study

Dental researchers at Queen's University are to carry out a major project examining the impact of facial disfigurement on teenagers.

The study, led by Dr Donald Burden, Dr Chris Johnston and Dr Orlagh Hunt, from the School of Dentistry, aims to establish the psychosocial status of patients with facial disfigurements before they have any treatment.

According to Dr Burden, clinicians have to wait until the face stops growing before any disfigurement can be corrected with jaw surgery and orthodontic braces and this usually doesn't happen until children are in their late teens.

"This means that affected adolescents have to endure their unusual facial appearance during their most sensitive formative years,” Dr Burden said. “Even when treatment is successfully completed in the late teens the negative psychosocial experiences in early adolescence may leave residual psychosocial problems."

Part of the study will also include looking at teenagers with normal facial appearances to see if those with disfigurements have different life experiences to those without disfigurements.

"The findings will facilitate a better understanding of the factors involved in the patient's eventual decision to undergo treatment, refuse any treatment, or accept a compromise such as orthodontic treatment with dental braces only,” Dr Burden explained.

"It will also ensure that surgical intervention will be supported by high quality scientific evidence, which is currently lacking.”

Funding of £178,000 for the project was secured from the Research and Development Office through the Recognised Research Group ‘Child Health and Welfare’. This includes the appointment of a research assistant, Katie Chapman, who will oversee the day to day running of the project.

(MB/SP)