Self-perception of malocclusion among north Jordanian school children

This study was undertaken to assess the factors affecting self-perception and the demand for orthodontic treatment among north Jordanian school children. In total, 1404 students randomly selected to represent five geographical areas of northern Jordan were examined. The students were further subgrouped according to gender (858 females, 546 males), age (985 13 year olds, 419 17 year olds) and rural/urban place of residence (212 rural, 1192 urban). The aesthetic component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) was used as an assessment measure of the need for orthodontic treatment. The self-perception of malocclusion was evaluated by asking each student to identify which photograph on the AC scale most closely matched the appearance of their anterior teeth. The demand for orthodontic treatment was measured by asking the students: "Do you feel it is necessary to have your teeth straightened by an orthodontist?" Differences between the self-perception of malocclusion among the different groups were tested using the chi-squared test.The results showed that the majority of students rated their dentition from grades 1 to 4, with a tendency for the females and older school children to score their teeth as more attractive than males and younger children (P < 0.05, P < 0.001, respectively). Rural and urban school children did not differ in the perception of their own dentition. The self-perception scores of subjects within the no aesthetic need, borderline need and definite need groups differed significantly (P < 0.001). The subjects who reported a definite need perceived their teeth to be worse than the other two groups. The demand for orthodontic treatment was found to be affected by gender (P < 0.01) and rural/urban areas of living (P < 0.05).