Socio-economic status and utilisation of orthodontic services in a Nigerian hospital

To study the influence of socio-economic status on the utilization of orthodontic services and the uptake of orthodontic treatment in a Nigerian teaching hospital.

Relevant information needed for the study had been previously recorded in the patient's case file. A total of 157 patients that presented from December 2002 to December 2004 were reviewed. The socio-demographic data of each patient and all other necessary clinical information were retrieved from the patients case files using a common data abstraction form. The patients were further categorized according to their socio-economic status using a modification of the standard occupational classification system (12). Social Class I represented those with the highest income while social class IV represented those with the lowest income.

Out of the 157 patients that presented during the period of review, 86 (54.8%) were from social class I, 42 (26.7%) from social class II, 22 (14.0%) from social class III and 7 (4.5%) from social class IV. Sixty three percent of the patients presented with skeletal Class I, 23.5% presented with Skeletal Class II, while 13.5% presented with Skeletal Class III, 29.3% of the patients presented with normal over jet and 38.8% patients presented with normal overbite. The Social Class of the patients had a significant effect on the skeletal pattern and overbite (p < 0.05)

Majority of patients utilizing Orthodontic services are from the higher social classes, therefore the uptake of orthodontic treatment is mainly a function of cost and not need or demand.