Perception of Children With Visible Untreated and Treated Caries (ECC-ET)

In Germany about 5 to 20% of children suffer from early childhood caries (ECC). Resulting in complications like damages of the permanent teeth, pain and developmental disorder of the affected jaw, ECC might additionally lead to social exclusion. Previous eye-tracking-studies about the perception of patients with unilateral cleft and patients with severe orthognathic malocclusion demonstrated that these variations are transferring the observer's focus from the eyes and nose to the affected region. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that the faces of patients with ECC and patients with signs of dental treatment (crown, gap etc.) are contemplated differently from and assessed more negatively than healthy patients. Particular attention should be paid to potential differences between the findings of the two observer-groups (medical laypersons/ dental students).