Affiliation:
1. PhD graduate student, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Dentistry for Special Needs Patients Division, Dental School, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, and Hospital of Livorno, Public Health Service of Tuscany, Dentistry and Orthodontics Division, Livorno, Italy.
2. Research Fellow, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Dentistry for Special Needs Patients Division, Dental School, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
3. Associate Professor, Department of Sensory Organs, University Hospital of Careggi, Special Dentistry Division, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objective:
To analyze any differences in the orthodontic treatment between children belonging to a particular subgroup of subjects with special health care needs (SHCN), children with craniofacial anomalies (CFA), and children not diagnosed with SHCN (NO SHCN).
Materials and Methods:
The study sample consisted of 50 children with SHCN and a confirmed diagnosis of CFA (SHCN/CFA); the control group consisted of 50 NO SHCN children fully matched for age, gender, and type of appliance used. The differences between the two groups were analyzed retrospectively: pre-, posttreatment scores, and score reduction of the Peer Assessment Rating Index (PAR), dental health component (DHC), and aesthetic component (AC) of Orthodontic Treatment Need Index (IOTN), number of appointments, number of simple or complex chair-time appointments, overall treatment time, and age at treatment start and end.
Results:
There were no statistically significant differences between the SHCN/CFA and NO SHCN groups for number of appointments, overall treatment time, age at treatment start, and age at treatment end (P = .682, .458, .535, and .675, respectively). There were statistically significant differences between groups in PAR, DHC, AC pre- and posttreatment, and number of simple and complex chair-time appointments (P = .030 and .000; .020 and .023; .000 and .000; .043; and .037; respectively). The reduction of PAR, DHC, and AC scores was not significantly different between groups (P = .060, .765, and .825, respectively).
Conclusion:
The treatment of children with SHCN, in general, and with CFA, in particular, on the one hand involves a higher rate of using complex chair time appointments and an inferior treatment outcome, by the other side implies an overall treatment time and a reduction of PAR, DHC or AC scores similar to the treatment of children not diagnosed with SHCN.
Publisher
The Angle Orthodontist (EH Angle Education & Research Foundation)