Dental treatment needs using a sociodental approach among south Indian youths: a cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to compare the normative dental needs and sociodental needs in a sample of 18-21-year-old students in Davangere city in South India.

This cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 250 students aged 18-21 years. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and clinical examination. The normative needs were assessed by different indices. The impact of oral diseases on their quality of life was assessed using the standard Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP) scale and propensity-related needs (PRNs) were assessed using three standard questions.

About 85.6% of the subjects fulfilled the criteria for professionally judged normative treatment need. Among them, 42% of the subjects were suffering from emergency/progressive oral conditions and the remaining 43.6% subjects were suffering from non-progressive oral conditions. In turn, a total of 28.4% of the subjects with non-progressive oral conditions fulfilled the criteria of impact-related treatment need. Finally, only 1.2% had sociodental needs (high PRNs).

A substantial reduction in treatment needs were found with the sociodental approach among youths in India. The considerable proportion of the children with impact-related need (IRN) did not have a high behavioral propensity, hence potentially needing alternative interventions and programs.