Need for orthodontic treatment and self-perception of malocclusion among young adults in chennai

Author: 
Nurul Syamimi binti Mohd Azlan Sunil and Saravana Pandian

Aim and Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the need of orthodontic treatment among young where orthodontic treatment would be sought by a sample of Dental and Law students.

Materials and Method: Using the 10 grade esthetic component (AC) scale of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN), 165 university students (100 dental and 65 law students) selected the level of esthetic impairment that represented the point at which they would seek orthodontic treatment. A questionnaire was answered by both the sample populations. The results obtained were compared between both groups.

Results: The AC photograph Grade 4 and Grade 5 were found to be the most commonly selected threshold photographs by the law students and the dental students, respectively. Subjects who visited the dentist every 6 months, in both groups, were more likely to choose a threshold photograph closer to the attractive end of the scale.

Conclusion: The information regarding the need and demand of orthodontic treatment allows a treatment priority to be set up to allocate appropriate resources. The results indicate that the aesthetic expectations of the dental and non-dental professionals differ so when using the AC of the IOTN the “no need for treatment” category should be Grades 1–3 of the AC, rather than Grades 1–4.

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DOI: 
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijcar.2017.2918.0141
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