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

Abstract

A proposal to formulate an orthodontic index specific for the Indian Board of Orthodontics (IBO) to determine the acceptability and degree of difficulty of a cases submitted for the phase III examination was discussed at the College of Diplomates meet (CDIBO). To ascertain the degree of difficulty of a case is very subjective; therefore, the need to quantify the complexity of a case in a standard format is required. To develop a Discrepancy Index for the IBO, 20 Dental and Cephalometric components of a malocclusion and 20 intraoral frontal photographs would have to be evaluated and a weightage score for each component would be assigned. Components such as upper and lower anterior proclination, commonly seen in our Asian population which have been omitted in the commonly used indices such as PAR (Peer Assessment Review) IOTN (Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need) and the ICON (Index of Complexity,Outcome and Need) have been included. The proposed IBO Index would add uniformity and standardization in assessing the degree of difficulty and also the degree of improvement of a case, which would be a beneficial tool for a fair evaluation.