The prevalence of malocclusion in the tribal populations of the parvathipuram revenue division of vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh and their perceived orthodontic treatments needs

Abstract

Introduction: Endogamous tribal cultures often have certain preserved clinical phenotypes that serve almost like a window to the past. Culturally sequestered populations often share certain habits and viewpoints including those related to preferences and aesthetics. The present study aims to throw light on the perception of aesthetics as based on the most prevalent form of malocclusion in a tribal population. Materials and Methods: Of the 819 adolescents screened in the age group of 13–19 years, 63% (516) were boys and 37% (303) were girls. The evaluated occlusion of the students was categorised into four groups as ideal occlusion and the three categories of Angle's malocclusion (Class I, II and III). A simple set of questions were posed to elicit awareness of orthodontic treatment and perceived treatment needs. All results were tabulated for further analysis. Results: Analysis of the tabulated findings revealed a percentage distribution as follows. About 7% had ideal occlusion and 93% (762) had malocclusion categorised as 72% with Angle's Class I, 26% with Angle's Class II and 2% with Angle's Class III. A Chi-square test of independence showed that there was no significant association between gender and the prevalence of malocclusion, 2 (2, n = 762) = 2.5, P = 0.28. Questions posed to elicit awareness of orthodontic treatment and perceived treatment needs revealed that while 77% of the individuals screened were aware of orthodontic treatment, only 7% of those questioned felt they had a perceived need for treatment. Conclusion: Aesthetic perception including a perceived need for orthodontic treatment in a population might be strongly influenced not only by the viewpoint of peers but also by what is considered to be normal to the majority.