Suman Yadav, Sujit Panda, Kanu Priya, Pratik Verma, Neha Srivastava, Simran Kour

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Malocclusion is a developmental problem, which proceed in social, psychological and functional problems for patients. Aim: The Purpose of this study was to assess the need for orthodontic treatment using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) between the 12?14-year-old students of Kanpur schools and to evaluate the difference in orthodontic treatment need and demand in terms of genders in Dental Health Component (DHC) and Aesthetic Component (AC). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was accomplish on 305 subjects (120 male and185 female) students aged 12?14 years, were clinically examined. DHC was evaluated by a calibrated examiner. AC was determined using 10standard photographs shown to students. Data were analyzed using chi-squared test to determine differences in treatment needs between subgroups of the subjects. Results: There was a definite need for orthodontic treatment amongst the females (42.7%) than the males (35%).The results of the present study unveil that 72.3% subjects demanded orthodontic treatment from the study sample (51.8% using the DHC-IOTN component and 92.3% using the AC-IOTN) component which means that demand exceeds need. Conclusion: According to DHC of the IOTN, approximately one-third of the population had a definite need for orthodontic treatment, and crowing was the most prevalent malocclusion. Although IOTN is a valid screening tool, patient's perception of orthodontic treatment does not always correlate with professional assessment.