Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the need for orthodontic treatment among 10-11- and 14-15-year-old schoolchildren in Lithuania. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A total of 4235 children randomly selected from different socioeconomic backgrounds were examined. The schoolchildren were divided into two age groups: first group, 10-11-year olds (1142 boys, 1180 girls) and second group, 14-15-year olds (936 boys, 977 girls). The normative orthodontic treatment need was assessed using the Index of Complexity, Outcome, and Need. RESULTS. The need for orthodontic treatment ranged from 37.4 to 48.9% in 10 counties of Lithuania. The study demonstrated that the need of orthodontic treatment significantly depended on age and to some extent on gender of the schoolchildren examined. This study has shown reduction in the need for orthodontic treatment from 49.9% in the late mixed dentition stage to 33.9% in the permanent dentition stage. CONCLUSIONS. The need for orthodontic treatment is high in Lithuania: almost half of 10-11-year-old and every third of 14-15-year-old schoolchildren need orthodontic treatment.
Highlights
The demand for orthodontic treatment over the last decade has been substantially growing in Lithuania
The need for orthodontic treatment is high in Lithuania: almost half of 10–11
It is generally accepted that treatment priority mostly is given to the patients with malocclusion associated with a high risk of tissue damage, functional disturbances, or psychological problems [3]
Summary
The demand for orthodontic treatment over the last decade has been substantially growing in Lithuania. The effective management of the public health care system requires assessing demand, and need for orthodontic treatment [1]. Selection of patients to ensure that treatment is provided to subjects with the greatest need is especially important for countries with limited human and financial resources. There are no universally accepted measures to assess the need for orthodontic treatment. Criteria for treatment need are different in many countries and depend on prevalence of malocclusion, health care system, socioeconomic factors, and cultural background [2]. Definition of criteria assessing cutoff points for those needing and not needing orthodontic treatment always is problematic. Patient’s perceived need for orthodontic treatment is often not in agreement with objective measurements. There is some controversy concerning objective and subjective assessment of the need for orthodontic treatment. The others state that self-perceived scoring of malocclusion was higher than normative measure of need [5]
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