An assessment of orthodontic treatment using occlusal indices

This retrospective study was carried out to assess the need for orthodontic treatment and the standard of treatment provided by the Government Dental Clinic in Singapore. The materials for this study comprised the pre-treatment and post-treatment study models as well as the clinical notes of 194 patients who were consecutively debanded over a three-month period in 1996. The pre- and post-treatment models were assessed using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index. The results indicated that a large proportion (81.4%) of the cases were treated with extractions. The majority of the cases were treated by upper and lower fixed appliances. Treatment was completed, on average, in 21 visits spread over 2.1 years. The result also demonstrated that the majority of the patients had genuine need for treatment for both dental and aesthetic reasons. Eighty-two percent of patients fell into the category of "need" for treatment based on dental health grounds. The mean PAR score reduction was 77%, indicating a high standard of treatment.