Need and desire for orthodontic (re-)treatment in 35-year-old Norwegians

Long-term outcome of orthodontic care systems may be studied by examining malocclusion and treatment need in groups of treated and untreated adults. The objective of the present work was to investigate the professionally defined need as well as the need perceived by the individuals in an attempt to study the outcome of orthodontic services. The material comprised data from 111 individuals collected from a random sample of 35-year-olds from Oslo, Norway. From a clinical examination and measurements on dental study casts, the subjects were classified into either of 4 levels of need according to the Need for Orthodontic Treatment Index (NOTI) used by the Norwegian Health Insurance System. Perceived need for treatment was analyzed from responses to questions about satisfaction with dental appearance and desire for orthodontic treatment presented in a questionnaire. Satisfaction with dental appearance was recorded in 85% and 92% of untreated and previously treated, respectively. Desire for treatment was expressed by 19% of the untreated and 3% of the treated individuals. Occlusal anomalies were present among both the treated and untreated subjects, and the clinical significance of the malocclusion traits observed is discussed.