A Survey of Malocclusion and the Need for Orthodontic Treatment in a Shropshire School Population

Abstract

Occlusal features and the need for orthodontic treatment are difficult to assess objectively. Methods of assessment which have been devised for public health purposes are different from those which are needed for clinical purposes. A study was carried out on 1000 children, aged 11 to 12 years, to assess certain occlusal features and the need for orthodontic treatment in clinical terms, and to determine which occlusal features brought about the need for treatment. The criteria for assessment are defined. The population was found to have a high prevalence of dental arch crowding and of Class 2 dental arch relationship. The features were each present in more than half the population. Other findings regarding occlusal features are outlined. There was little difference between the sexes for the occlusal and aetiological features studied. No orthodontic treatment was found to be necessary in 40·1 per cent of the population. Treatment by planned extraction of teeth only was necessary in 22·0 per cent, and active tooth movement with appliances, either with or without extraction of teeth, in 37·9 per cent. Crowding of the dentition and Class 2 dental arch relationship were found to be the main cause of the need for orthodontic treatment. In this population, more than 50 per cent of the necessary appliance treatment would be involved in treating Class 2 Division 1 occlusion. There were no significant differences between the sexes in the need for orthodontic treatment.