Perceptions of the dental attractiveness and orthodontic treatment needs among the school-going population of the rural areas of Lucknow

Abstract

Application of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) to assess and grade the perceptions of dental attractiveness and orthodontic treatment need among the school-going population of the rural areas of Lucknow, formulate a questionnaire to record the response of the study population and comparison by the statistical appraisal, the grading of aesthetics and treatment need as recorded by the orthodontist and as implied by the study subjects. A multistage cluster sample of 650 school students aged 12-18 years was selected. A proforma containing personal data such as name, gender, age, DHC grading, AC grading (by both examiner and subject), and a brief questionnaire was created to record the results per person. The Dental health component (DHC) and the aesthetic component (AC), both were recorded for IOTN-based treatment needs assessment. According to the DHC, 30% of people had a clear need for therapy, 54.62% had a marginal or mild need, and 15.38% had no need at all. As per the AC, 52.9% of respondents had no or a mild need for therapy, 22.3% had a questionable need, and 24.8% had a clear need for intervention. Furthermore, 43.5% of the subjects had no idea at all about Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, while 31.4% identified the branch with the word braces which is a concerning fact. A statistically significant association between the DHC and the subject’s willingness to undergo locally provided and economically feasible Orthodontic treatment indicates a large base of potential orthodontic patients who are unable to seek treatment due to a lack of access to better healthcare facilities. The outcomes of the current study can, however, be used to plan for public health and to provide ideas for more research.