Orthodontic screening of nine-year-old children

Two groups of nine-year-old children were examined for orthodontic problems using a Severity Index. Patients who had been referred by general dental practitioners to a Consultant Orthodontist had significantly more occlusal problems than the controls. Seventy-one per cent of the referred patients were assessed as needing immediate treatment. The results of this study cast doubt upon the need for routine screening of nine-year-olds in an area where the general dental service is efficiently run and has good liaison with the District Hospital.