Correlation between the Perception of Personal Dental Appearance and the Residual Treatment Need amongst Underserved Indian Adolescents

Background: Measurement of malocclusion as a public health problem is extremely difficult since individual perceptions of malocclusion differs widely. Hence, planning orthodontic treatment within a public system requires information regarding aesthetic perception, their need and demand for orthodontic treatment. Materials and Methods: The study assessed perception of dental attractiveness along with the need and demand for orthodontic treatment amongst Indian school children belonging to low socio-economic status. Study was conducted in North zone of Bangalore city; India involving 1010 children (460 boys and 550 girls) aged 12-15 years ‘government high schools. Pre-structured questionnaire in English language was administered including demographic characteristics, awareness of children's own occlusions along with the visual perceptions of malocclusion comprising of two questions related to 10 standard intra-oral IOTN (Index of Orthodontic and Treatment Need) frontal photographs on which the subjects had to give an opinion about attractiveness. Clinical examination was also done using DAI (Dental Aesthetic Index) to assess severity of malocclusion along with its corresponding treatment need for the subjects. Results: Statistically significant difference was obtained between the subjective perception of occlusion amongst boys and girls. A negative although insignificant correlation was also observed between dental aesthetic index and the subjective perception of malocclusion for children belonging to low socio-economic status. Conclusion: Significant proportions of the children belonging to low socio-economic status were unaware and viewed their dental appearance as pleasant. Thus, there is a residual unmet need for orthodontic treatment among a majority of Indian children.