Assessment of Malocclusion status in 15 year old school children of a South Indian City- A Cross- sectional Survey

Abstract

Introduction Self appraisal of ones appearance is one of the conflicting concerns, especially in adolescence. Facial and dental aesthetics contribute majorly towards overall appearance. Malocclusion is a disorder of multiple traits which has a large impact on both individual and society in terms of discomfort, quality of life, social and functional limitations. Objective To assess the prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs in 15 year old school children of Davangere City, Karnataka Methodology A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among 15 year old school children using simple random sampling technique. Socio demographic details were recorded and severity of malocclusion was assessed by Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Chi Square and t-test were used and the data was analysed using SPSS Version 21. Results- A total of 710 children participated in the study, out of which 59% were females and 41% were males. 23.2% of the study participants had DAI scores of 2630 with definite malocclusion requiring elective treatment, 4.4% had DAI scores of 3135 with severe malocclusion requiring highly desirable treatment, and 1.7% had DAI scores ? 36 with handicapping malocclusion requiring mandatory treatment. Conclusion Majority of the children in the study (70.7%) required little or no treatment, 29.3% had definite malocclusion requiring orthodontic treatment.