Evaluation of orthodontic treatment using the Dental Aesthetic Index

This investigation evaluates dental esthetic differences of orthodontic patients before and after treatment. The orthodontic treatment provided for patients in this investigation involved the use of removable appliances in 85% of the cases, use of fixed appliances in 2% of the cases, and a combination of fixed and removable appliances in 13% of the cases. Records of patients treated at a dental school clinic between 1959 and 1984 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria for this study included complete patient records, and the presence of dental casts for estimation of the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Of the 932 patients, 116 patient records were included. Fifty patients began treatment during the mixed dentition (age < or = 144 months), and 66 were treated during the permanent dentition (age > 144 months). Pretreatment DAI values and component factors were measured and compared with posttreatment values. The DAI scores improved significantly (p < or = 0.0001) in both age groups (paired t test; Bonferroni correction). However, 20% of the patients showed a worsening or no change in the DAI with treatment. In the mixed dentition group, maxillary anterior irregularities, diastema, and overjet showed statistically significant improvement after treatment (p < or = 0.0001). Patients in the permanent dentition showed statistically significant improvement in the crowding of lower incisors, maxillary anterior alignment, and overjet (p < or = 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis defined five statistically significant factors (p < or = 0.05) that could differentiate patients with successful and unsuccessful treatment outcomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)