The influence of social class, gender, and peers on the uptake of orthodontic treatment.

Abstract

The accurate prediction of the future demand for orthodontic treatment requires an understanding of the factors which influence the uptake of orthodontic treatment. This paper examines the influence of social class, gender, and peer group on the uptake of orthodontic treatment. A representative random sample comprising five-hundred-and-forty 15- and 16-year-old adolescents were interviewed in school. The results indicate that familiarity with orthodontic appliances among a subject's peer group has a greater influence on the uptake of orthodontic treatment than the subject's social class or gender.