Studies on the need and demand for orthodontic treatment

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Orthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry

Background:

• Assessing the need and demand for orthodontic care in school children is complex.
• Previous hypotheses suggested a link between postnormal occlusion and functional disturbances requiring orthodontic intervention.
• Parental and patient perceptions significantly influence the demand for orthodontic treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze factors influencing the evaluation of orthodontic care need and demand in school children.
• To investigate functional disturbances in children with normal versus postnormal occlusion.
• To assess the reliability of objective and subjective evaluations of orthodontic treatment need and demand.

Main Methods:

• Examination of mandibular function, temporomandibular joint palpation, and masticatory muscle assessment.
• Electromyography (EMG) of jaw muscles.
• Independent assessments by dentists and orthodontists using standardized and modified instructions, and questionnaires for children and parents.

Main Results:

• Postnormal occlusion did not show a clear association with functional disturbances necessitating orthodontic treatment.
• Dentist training significantly improved the reliability of grading objective orthodontic treatment needs more than instruction content.
• Subjective demand assessments by orthodontists varied widely; parental concern for appearance was the primary driver for seeking treatment.

Conclusions:

• Functional disturbances are not strongly indicative of the need for orthodontic treatment in children with postnormal occlusion.
• Collaborative training among dental professionals enhances the reliability of objective orthodontic need assessments.
• Subjective demand for orthodontic care is influenced by esthetics, with significant variability in specialist assessments.