Perception of occlusion and reasons for not seeking orthodontic treatment among Yemeni children

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate perception of the children to their own occlusion and reason for not seeking orthodontic treatment in a sample of 12-year-old Yemeni school children. Materials and Methods: The study sample was comprised of 3003 children, attending schools in six governorates (cities and environs) in Yemen. For each subject, the standard demographic information such as gender and residency was collected, after which a questionnaire was used to determine the perception of occlusion and to assess the history of orthodontic treatment. Results: Of the whole, only 2.2% of the sample had some type of orthodontic treatment or consultation. Nearly 63.4% answered that they have aligned teeth, 29.7% have malaligned teeth, whereas 6.9% of them did not know whether they have aligned or malaligned teeth. Of the children who stated that they have malaligned teeth, 31.6% reported that they had crowded teeth, 15.5% had spaced teeth, 28.5% had protruded teeth and 24.3% had rotated and displaced teeth. Regarding the answers of the effect of malaligned teeth, 60.9% thought that it affects their appearance, 6.5% chewing, and 7.6% speech. The most common reasons for not seeking orthodontic treatment were ignorance about treatment, the thought that treatment is not important or not possible (61.1%) and having fear of pain or tooth extraction (23%). Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, almost 2% of the evaluated Yemeni school children had some type of orthodontic treatment or consultation, suggesting low perception level of the Yemeni children to their own occlusion.