Orthodontic Surveys—A Critical Appraisal

Abstract

Surveys of the occlusion in population groups usually include in their objectives the academic assessment of occlusal features, the planning of resources for public health treatment programmes, the comparison of differing populations and the screening of groups for orthodontic treatment. The requirements for these purpose differ. While occlusal features are readily measured by any trained observer, the need for treatment is a largely subjective judgement and the difficulty and practicability of treatment are aspects which can only realistically be assessed by clinical orthodontists. The use of an occlusal index, while standardizing the measurement of the occlusion, still retains the subjectivity of the assessment of treatment need, though this subjectivity is also standardized. No occlusal index at present includes any measure of the difficulty or practicability of treatment. Reports of orthodontic surveys on UK populations in the past 30 years reflect the difficulties of making comparable assessments without standardized criteria, as well as secular changes in judgment of treatment need. If surveys are to be of value either in resource planning, screening or comparison of populations there seems to be a need to develop a suitable index which would use measurements rather than classifications as far as possible.