Formulating a New Orthodontic Index: An Indian Board of Orthodontics Initiative—Part 2

Abstract

A new orthodontic index was proposed by the College of Diplomates to assess the degree of difficulty of cases submitted for the Indian Board of Orthodontics Phase III clinical examinations. This article is the continuation of the part 1 article which gave a brief insight into the need and the methodology undertaken to formulate this index. A weightage score grading the degree of severity of a case was obtained for dental, cephalometric, and miscellaneous components based on the results of a survey taken from the Diplomates of the Indian Board of Orthodontics. An aesthetic component was also developed using photographs and the relative aesthetic score for every photograph was graded. This index would help to categorize the malocclusion based on the severity, in a single, linear, and transparent manner.