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Outlining the morphological characteristics of acceptable occlusion
A L Svedström-Oristo1, T Pietilä, I Pietilä
1Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland. anlisve@utu.fi
Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology
|January 14, 2000
Summary
Finnish dental professionals
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Dental Public Health
- Occlusion Research
Background:
- Assessing orthodontic treatment outcomes requires clear definitions of acceptable occlusion.
- Current indices like NOTI and IOTN may not fully capture practitioner consensus on occlusal acceptability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Finnish orthodontists' and general practitioners' opinions on morphologically acceptable occlusion in young adults.
- To evaluate the applicability of NOTI and IOTN criteria for assessing orthodontic treatment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to 93 dental health centers and private practices across Finland.
- The study surveyed orthodontists and general practitioners regarding their views on occlusal acceptability using NOTI and IOTN criteria.
Main Results:
- Only 16% of respondents fully accepted both NOTI and IOTN definitions for acceptable occlusion.
- Functional aspects were frequently cited as missing from current definitions.
- Crossbites with functional discrepancies were least accepted; opinions varied based on education and employment.
Conclusions:
- NOTI and IOTN definitions provide a foundation for assessing morphological occlusion but require functional components.
- Incorporating functional occlusal measures is crucial for comprehensive orthodontic outcome assessment.