Self-perception of malocclusion among north Jordanian school children

This study was undertaken to assess the factors affecting self-perception and the demand for orthodontic treatment among north Jordanian school children. In total, 1404 students randomly selected to represent five geographical areas of northern Jordan were examined. The students were further subgrouped according to gender (858 females, 546 males), age (985 13 year olds, 419 17 year olds) and rural/urban place of residence (212 rural, 1192 urban). The aesthetic component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) was used as an assessment measure of the need for orthodontic treatment. The self-perception of malocclusion was evaluated by asking each student to identify which photograph on the AC scale most closely matched the appearance of their anterior teeth. The demand for orthodontic treatment was measured by asking the students: "Do you feel it is necessary to have your teeth straightened by an orthodontist?" Differences between the self-perception of malocclusion among the different groups were tested using the chi-squared test.The results showed that the majority of students rated their dentition from grades 1 to 4, with a tendency for the females and older school children to score their teeth as more attractive than males and younger children (P < 0.05, P < 0.001, respectively). Rural and urban school children did not differ in the perception of their own dentition. The self-perception scores of subjects within the no aesthetic need, borderline need and definite need groups differed significantly (P < 0.001). The subjects who reported a definite need perceived their teeth to be worse than the other two groups. The demand for orthodontic treatment was found to be affected by gender (P < 0.01) and rural/urban areas of living (P < 0.05).     

Orthodontic treatment need in Egyptian schoolchildren

The aim of this study was to assess the orthodontic treatment need and prevalence of malocclusion in 11–15-years-old Egyptian schoolchildren using the Dental Health Component (DHC) and Aesthetic Component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). A further aim was to compare the results with those from other populations matched for gender and age. The study followed the World Health Organization recommendations for oral health surveys. The sample comprised 1,464 schoolchildren (720 males and 744 females) who had not undergone orthodontic treatment, divided into two groups: 719 from 11–<13-years-old and 745 from 13–15-years-old, out of a representative sample of the school population of Mansoura Community. The IOTN results were analyzed with regard to gender using the Chi-square test. Orthodontic treatment need, using the DHC, was found in 21.5 per cent of the 11–<13-years-old and in 18.1 per cent of the 13–15-years-old; and with the AC, in 5.1 and 3.7 per cent, respectively. Considering the total sample, 19.8 and 4.4 per cent of the schoolchildren had a definite treatment need according to IOTN DHC and IOTN AC respectively. No gender dependent differences were found. It can be concluded that Egyptian orthodontic treatment need is similar to that reported in most recent studies; with approximately one in five to six children with an orthodontic treatment need.     

Perceptions of dental attractiveness and orthodontic treatment need among Tanzanian children.

The aim of this study was to assess the opinions of Tanzanian children on dental attractiveness and their perceptions of orthodontic treatment need in relation to their own dental attractiveness as measured by the aesthetic component (AC) of the index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN). In a random sample of 386 school children (48% boys, 52% girls), aged 9 to 18 years, the subjective need was assessed by using a prestructured questionnaire, and attractiveness was scored by using 18 intraoral frontal photographs. Orthodontic treatment need was measured with the IOTN, and 11% of the children definitely needed orthodontic treatment (grades 8-10 of the AC with 4-5 of the dental health component [DHC]). The AC indicated that 11% of the children needed orthodontic treatment, whereas the DHC indicated 22%. Although 38% of the children said they needed treatment, 33% and 31% were unhappy with the arrangement and the appearance of their teeth, respectively. Most children (85%) recognized well-aligned teeth as important for overall facial appearance. Photographs showing severe deviations including crowding were regarded as the most unattractive, with older children tending to dislike them the most (P <.0005). This suggests that, from the children's point of view, grades 8-10 of the AC and 4-5 of the DHC could be given the first priority when considering an orthodontic treatment policy in Tanzania.     

The use of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment need (IOTN) in a school population and referred population

The aim of this study is to assess the need for orthodontic treatment in a Turkish school population and a group of population referred for orthodontic treatment. The study groups were 250 school children, 11-14 years of age, and 250 patients, 11-14 years of age, referred to the department of orthodontics. The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) was used by two examiner in order to estimate the treatment need. The differences between the IOTN values for the boys and girls were also not statistically significant in both groups. When the dental health component of IOTN is considered, 38.8 per cent of Turkish school population showed great need treatment, 24.0 per cent moderate need treatment and slight or no need was 37.2 per cent. On the other hand, the referred population represented an 83.2 per cent great need treatment, 12.0 per cent moderate need treatment, 4.8 per cent no need treatment according to the DHC. The AC of IOTN in school population resulted in 4.8 per cent great need, 4.8 per cent moderate need, 90.4 per cent no need. These percentage were 36.8 per cent great need, 17.6 per cent moderate need, 45.2 per cent no need in referred population. Grade 8 was 28.8 per cent out of the 36.8 per cent great need percentage in referred population. Therefore, it can be concluded that the ectopic canines were the driving factor for the referred population.     

The need for treatment and satisfaction with dental appearance among young Finnish adults with and without a history of orthodontic treatment.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate orthodontic treatment need and patient satisfaction among young adults living in a city where free-of-charge orthodontic treatment was provided. A total of 281 18- to 19-year-old subjects randomly selected from the population register of the city of Vantaa took part in the study. The drop-out rate was 30%. Treatment need was clinically assessed according to the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN), consisting of a Dental Health Component (DHC) and an Aesthetic Component (AC). Information on previous orthodontic treatment was based on the patient records. Satisfaction of the subjects with their dental appearance and with the orthodontic treatment received was obtained using a questionnaire. The rate of orthodontic treatment among the subjects was 46% (54% for the females and 37% for the males, p < 0.05). 4% had discontinued treatment. A definite need for treatment (DHC 4 to 5/AC 8 to 10) was assessed in 15% of the subjects, and borderline/moderate need (DHC 3/AC 5 to 7) in 36%. No difference in IOTN scores between the treated and untreated subjects was found. Females had significantly more often no treatment need (DHC 1 to 2/AC 1 to 4) compared with males (p < 0.05). The majority of subjects (89%) reported that they were very or quite satisfied with their dental appearance. The odds of being satisfied were significantly higher for the treated subjects (OR = 2.71, p < 0.05) and lower for those at the non-attractive end of the AC scale (OR = 0.14, p < 0.01). Neither gender nor DHC grade significantly affected the odds of being satisfied among the subjects. The results indicate that the majority of young adults in this study were satisfied with their dental appearance regardless of objective treatment need of various degrees. The high treatment rate in relation to unnoticed treatment need calls for reevaluation of priorities in patient selection.     

The use of index of orthodontic treatment need in an Iranian population

This study aims to evaluate the need for orthodontic treatment between 11 and 14 year old school children in Shiraz. A sample of 2000 students consisting of 1200 boys and 800 girls from various parts of the city was selected. The index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) was used by two calibrated examiners. The data was recorded in questionnaires to assess dental health components (DHC). Aesthetic components (AC) were evaluated both by students (AC) and examiners (ACE). The results for DHC of IOTN were: 18.39% of population showed severe and very severe need for treatment, 25.8% were in border line category, 48.1% had a slight need and the percentage for no need to treatment was 7.63%. In evaluating AC, 91.93% were in no need or little need, 3.91% in moderate need and 4.11% in great need to treatment group. Where as ACE resulted in: 91.31% no need and little need, 2.44% moderate need and 6.21% great need to treatment. There was a slight statistical correlation (0.54) between AC and ACE, but a very weak correlation between DHC and AC was observed. According to DHC, boys showed more need for treatment than girls (P=0.001). Grade 8 showed the most percentage in great need category in both AC and ACE (3.41% of 4.11% and 5.74% of 6.21%, respectively). The results indicate that the need for orthodontic treatment was less than other studies and most of the students were in the category of little need for treatment.     

The Use of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) in a School Population and Referred Population

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the need for orthodontic treatment in a Turkish school population and a group of population referred for orthodontic treatment. The study groups were 250 school children, 11–14 years of age, and 250 patients, 11–14 years of age, referred to the department of orthodontics. The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) was used by two examiner in order to estimate the treatment need. The differences between the IOTN values for the boys and girls were also not statistically significant in both groups. When the dental health component of IOTN is considered, 38?8 per cent of Turkish school population showed great need treatment, 24?0 per cent moderate need treatment and slight or no need was 37?2 per cent. On the other hand, the referred population represented an 83?2 per cent great need treatment, 12?0 per cent moderate need treatment, 4?8 per cent no need treatment according to the DHC.

The AC of IOTN in school population resulted in 4?8 per cent great need, 4?8 per cent moderate need, 90?4 per cent no need. These percentage were 36?8 per cent great need, 17?6 per cent moderate need, 45?2 per cent no need in referred population. Grade 8 was 28?8 per cent out of the 36?8 per cent great need percentage in referred population. Therefore, it can be concluded that the ectopic canines were the driving factor for the referred population.     

Association between normative and self-perceived orthodontic treatment need among Arab high school students.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was an association between normative and self-perceived orthodontic treatment need, and to evaluate the influence of sex and socioeconomic background on treatment need. A total of 139 high school students, aged 14 to 18 years, from 2 districts in Kuwait were included. The study consisted of a questionnaire and a clinical examination. Normative need for treatment was assessed clinically by using the index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN). Both the dental health component (DHC) and the aesthetic component (AC) of the IOTN correlated positively with self-perceived treatment need. In 53% of the subjects, there was agreement between self-perceived treatment need and the DHC score. Between the AC component and self-perceived need, the agreement was 77%. The odds of self-perceived treatment need were 10-fold for subjects having AC scores higher than 4, indicating moderate or definite need. Sex and socioeconomic factors did not significantly affect the normative treatment need. These results suggest that the AC component of the IOTN clearly reflects the self-perceived need for treatment.     

Normative and self-perceived orthodontic treatment need in Nigerian school children

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the normative and self-perceived need for orthodontic treatment in Nigerian children, and to evaluate distribution of orthodontic treatment need according to gender and age. Materials and methods. The sample consisted of 441 randomly selected school children, aged 11–18 years in Benin City, Nigeria. The subjects were further sub-grouped according to gender (229 males and 212 females) and age (246 11–13 years old and 195 14–18 years old). The Dental health Component (DHC) and Aesthetic Component (AC) of Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) were used to assess orthodontic treatment need normatively. Self-perceived need was evaluated by asking the subjects to rate their dental aesthetics on the Aesthetic Component scale of IOTN. Chi-square tests were used to evaluate gender and age differences in distribution of treatment need. Results. A definite need for orthodontic treatment was found among 21.5% (grades 4–5 of DHC) and 6.3% (grades 8–10 of AC) of the subjects; 3.9% of the subjects perceived a definite need for orthodontic treatment (grades 8–10 of AC). There were no statistically significant gender and age differences in distribution of orthodontic treatment need among the subjects (p > 0.05). Conclusion. The study revealed a need for orthodontic treatment in slightly more than one fifth (21.5%) of this sample of Nigerian children. The sample population has a lower need on aesthetic grounds and their normative and self-perceived orthodontic treatment needs were not influenced by gender and age.     

Orthodontic treatment need and demand in Senegalese school children aged 12-13 years. An appraisal using IOTN and ICON

OBJECTIVE: To assess the normative need, knowledge of, and demand for orthodontic treatment in Senegalese schoolchildren aged 12-13 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 665 Senegalese schoolchildren randomly selected from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The normative orthodontic treatment need was assessed using the Dental Health Component (DHC) and the Aesthetic Component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and the Index of Complexity, Outcome, and Need (ICON). Knowledge of and demand for orthodontic treatment were assessed with a questionnaire. RESULTS: The DHC and the AC of the IOTN and the ICON classified respectively 42.6%, 8.7%, and 44.1% of the children as having a definite need for orthodontic treatment. There were no ethnic or gender differences with respect to normative orthodontic treatment need. The mean ICON score ranged from 42.31 to 44.46 according to the ethnic group. Only 10% of the children had some knowledge of orthodontics. However, between 17% and 30% of the children clearly expressed a need for orthodontic treatment, and the distribution between ethnic groups was significant. In contrast, there were no significant gender differences concerning this demand for treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that the need for orthodontic treatment far exceeds the actual available supply.     

Attitudes and satisfaction with dental appearance in young adults with and without malocclusion

The aim of the study was to assess the quality of a Public Dental Service (PDS) system in Sweden with regard to the orthodontic care and to investigate the selection made for the consultation by the general practitioners (GPs) and by orthodontists of those patients with malocclusion. In the individuals leaving the PDS system, the residual need and demand for treatment due to malocclusions and satisfaction with and opinion of their teeth was assessed in orthodontically treated and untreated 19-year-olds. Altogether 121 19-year-olds were clinically investigated with respect to six defined malocclusion traits and given a questionnaire. The following results were found: Ten per cent of the 19-year-olds that had not had an orthodontic consultation showed a residual treatment need. One third of the individuals judged by the orthodontist not to need treatment and one third that had been treated by the GP showed a marked orthodontic treatment need at the age of 19 years. Twenty-two per cent of all 19-year-olds left the PDS with an orthodontic treatment need. Ninety-four per cent were satisfied with their teeth irrespective of malocclusion or not. Every second individual considered their teeth important for their self-esteem. It was concluded that 19-year-olds in general were satisfied with their dental appearance. Half of the registered residual need and demand for orthodontic treatment was not related to measurable malocclusions.     

Appropriateness of orthodontic referrals: self-perceived and normative treatment needs of patients referred for orthodontic consultation

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this prospective study were to evaluate the self-perceived and normative orthodontic treatment needs of children referred for orthodontic consultation and to determine the proportion of children who were inappropriately referred. METHODS: The sample consisted of 257 children with a mean age of 12.0 years (SD = 2.4). An orthodontist assessed the children's normative treatment need using the dental health component (DHC) of the index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN), and for patients in the mixed dentition the need for interceptive treatment was assessed. Questionnaires were answered by both the child and the parent to assess satisfaction with dental appearance and desire for treatment. RESULTS: The distribution of the IOTN grades showed that 73% of the children had definite need while 27% had borderline/no need for orthodontic treatment. Twenty-six per cent of children and 17% of parents did not express orthodontic concern, even though more than half of these children were in definite need of treatment as assessed by IOTN. The children's orthodontic concern was significantly related to the DHC scores. Out of the 103 children who were in the mixed dentition, only about 16% required interceptive treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that a significant number of children were inappropriately referred for orthodontic treatment. Referring dentists need to assess the normative treatment needs of the children as well as the children's and parents' commitment and desire for orthodontic treatment before deciding on the need for referral.     

The relationship between patient, parent and clinician perceived need and normative orthodontic treatment need

The aim of the present study was to compare patient, parent and clinician perceived need for orthodontic treatment in relation to normative orthodontic treatment need as measured by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). A prospective cross-sectional study was designed to address this aim. The sample comprised 103 patients attending the 'new' patient clinic at the Jordan University Hospital. The patients' mean age was 15.3 years (standard deviation 3.8 years); 33 per cent were males and 67 per cent females. One clinician scored the patients' normative orthodontic treatment need using the IOTN, then determined perceived need using a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). The subjects then assessed their own perceived need and aesthetic component (AC) score and the parents carried out similar assessments for their children. All scoring was carried out blind. The parents had the highest average perceived need scores, followed by patient and clinician scores (6.6, 6.1 and 5.4 cm, respectively). A significant difference was found between the parents and the clinician (P < 0.05). When the relationship between perceived need and clinician-measured normative orthodontic treatment need was investigated, significant differences were found with the dental health component (DHC) for all three groups (P < 0.05). Differences between AC and perceived need scores were also significant for the patients and parents, but not for the clinician (P > 0.05). The present study has shown that perceptions of orthodontic treatment need are multifactorial and influenced by elements other than health measures of normative orthodontic treatment need and perceptions of aesthetics.     

Orthodontic treatment need in a 12-year-old population in the Western Sahara

The aim of this study was to establish orthodontic treatment need according to the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) and Aesthetic Component (AC) and Dental Health Component (DHC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and to determine its association with gender among Saharan schoolchildren. The study was carried out in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for oral health surveys at 12 years of age. The sample comprised 248 Sahrawi children (135 girls and 113 boys) living in refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. None of the children had previously received any orthodontic treatment. A chi-square test was used to analyse the IOTN results by gender, and a Student's t-test was employed for the DAI results. The mean DAI was 23.32 with a standard deviation of 6.05, 4 percent with a very severe and 9.2 per cent with severe malocclusion. Orthodontic treatment need was 16.1 and 2.0 percent, respectively, according to grades 4 and 5 of the IOTN DHC, 13.7 percent according to the IOTN AC, and 28.6 percent according to the modified IOTN (IOTN DHC grades 4-5 and/or IOTN AC grades 8-10). There were no statistically significant differences by gender. The orthodontic treatment need of Western Saharan schoolchildren is similar to that reported by many recent studies in European and in Sub-Saharan countries.     

Orthodontic treatment need in Nigerian children

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the need for orthodontic treatment among Nigerian children aged 12-14 years old in Benin City, south-southern region of Nigeria. RESEARCH DESIGN: The sample consisted of 261 randomly selected school children, 122 boys (47%) and 139 girls (53%) with mean age of 12.9 +/- 0.1. The survey was conducted by clinical examination and both components of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) were used to determine the need for orthodontic treatment. RESULTS: The results revealed that 50 (19.2%) of the children had a definite need for orthodontic treatment according to dental health component while aesthetic component of IOTN indicated definite need in 12 (4.6%). Increased overjet, severe contact displacements and impeded eruption of teeth were the common occlusal features in the definite treatment need group. CONCLUSION: This study provided data on the need for orthodontic treatment among Nigerian school children which is useful to plan and prioritise orthodontic care and services.     

Orthodontic treatment need in Asian adult males

Orthodontic treatment in adults has gained social and professional acceptance in recent years. An assessment of orthodontic treatment need helps to identify individuals who will benefit from treatment and safeguard their interest. The purpose of this study was to assess the objective and subjective levels of orthodontic treatment need in a sample of orthodontically untreated adult Asian males. A sample of male army recruits (n = 339, age 17-22 years, Chinese = 258, Malay = 60, Indian = 21) with no history of orthodontic treatment or craniofacial anomalies participated in the study on a voluntary basis with informed consent. Impressions for study models were taken. Objective treatment need was assessed based on study model analysis using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Questionnaires were used to assess subjective treatment need based on subjective esthetic component (EC) ratings. Fifty percentage of the sample had a definite need for orthodontic treatment (dental health component [DHC] grades 4 and 5), whereas 29.2% had a moderate need for treatment (DHC grades 3). The occlusal trait most commonly identified was dental crossbite. Malay males had the highest percentage with a definite need for treatment for both dental health and esthetic reasons in comparison with Chinese and Indian males. However, there was no difference in the level of treatment need among the ethnic groups (P > .05). No correlation between objective and subjective EC scores was found (P > .05). A high level of investigator-identified treatment need was not supported by a similar level of subject awareness among the adult sample.     

Attractiveness ratings of anterior open bites and reverse overjets using the aesthetic component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need

This study was carried out to determine the level of attractiveness of anterior open bites (AOB) and reverse overjets of varying severity. A sample of 180 non-dental students (101 females and 79 males; average age 20 +/- 0.75 years) and 45 dental professionals (12 females and 33 males; average age 35.5 +/- 5.07 years) was asked to complete a questionnaire to rate the level of attractiveness of AOB and reverse overjets of varying severity using the aesthetic component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Photographs of mild and severe AOB and reverse overjets were projected onto a white screen in a lecture theatre (15 seconds each with a 5 second interval between images). The participants were asked to record the AC grade at which they thought the projected picture of the AOB or reverse overjets had similar attractiveness. Dental awareness of non-dental students was determined by asking them their opinion on how important it was to have straight teeth (very unimportant, unimportant, important, very important), about their personal or close family members' orthodontic experiences and if they thought they were in need of any orthodontic treatment. A chi-square test was applied to record any differences between sexes and between the different groups. Backward stepwise linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between the students' ratings of the photographs and their dental awareness.The majority of non-dental students rated a mild AOB (93 per cent) and mild reverse overjet (96 per cent) to be aesthetically acceptable. A mild AOB and mild reverse overjet were found to be acceptable by 40 and 58 per cent of dental professionals, respectively. The differences in the ratings between dental professionals and non-dental students were significant at P < 0.001.A severe AOB was considered unattractive by both students and dental professionals. However, dental professionals rated it at the more unattractive end of the scale (P < 0.001). A severe reverse overjet was rated by the majority of the subjects as aesthetically unacceptable (85 per cent of the non-dental students and 78 per cent of the dental professionals).     

Relationship between occlusion and satisfaction with dental appearance in orthodontically treated and untreated groups. A longitudinal study

The aims of this study were to assess the relationship between occlusion, satisfaction with dental appearance, and self-esteem at the ages of 11 (T1) and 15 years (T2), and to study perceived treatment effects. Separate questionnaires were completed by children and their parents to determine their attitude. The dental casts of 224 children were collected at T1 and T2, and assessed by the Aesthetic Component (AC) and Dental Health Component (DHC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN), and Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) Index. At T2, 16 children had been treated with removable and 51 with fixed appliances, while 157 were untreated. The children in the fixed appliance group had better dental aesthetics (AC) and occlusion (DHC) than those in the two other groups. Average PAR score reduction was 71.6 per cent (T1-T2) and satisfaction with own or child's dental appearance increased significantly. The untreated group showed increased malocclusions. In spite of that, the children expressed higher satisfaction with their own dental appearance at T2 than at T1, while the parents' satisfaction level was unchanged. For the total group, orthodontic concern at T1, AC at T2, and gender accounted for 18.0 per cent of the variation in the children's satisfaction with their own dental appearance. Parents' concern at T1 and AC at T2 accounted for 32.2 per cent of the variation in parents' satisfaction. Improvement in self-esteem from 11 to 15 years was not correlated with treatment changes. A gender difference was found. The answers to the questionnaire indicated that both children and parents rate pleasant aesthetics as an important factor for psychosocial well being.     

上海地区青少年正畸治疗需要的调查研究

目的:调查上海地区青少年人群的正畸治疗需要及自身美学评价。方法:随机抽取上海地区11～13岁青少年686例(男355例,女331例),由正畸专科医师采用正畸治疗需要指数(index of orthodontic treatment need,IOTN)评定受试者正畸治疗需要。IOTN包括学(dental health component,DHC)及美学(aesthetic component,AC)2部分。同时采用IOTN的美学部分让受试者对自身美观程度进行评价(self-perceived aesthetic component,SAC)。采用描述性统计及卡方检验对调查结果进行统计分析。结果:DHC评分显示26.0%的受试者明确需要正畸治疗,19.8%的受试者为临界病例;AC评分显示5.5%的受试者明确需要正畸治疗,31.7%为临界病例;SAC评分显示1.7%的受试者明确需要正畸治疗,6.4%为临界病例。在明确需要正畸治疗的受试者中,最常见的特征是严重接触点异常(>4 mm)。DHC与AC在评价治疗需要时77.8%结果一致,AC与SAC在评价治疗需要时65.0%结果一致。结论:将近一半的青少年人群明确需要正畸治疗或为临界病例,受试者在进行自身美观程度评价有从轻的倾向。     

Need and demand for orthodontic treatment in an adult Swedish population.

The prevalence of malocclusion, the need for and the demand for orthodontic treatment was studied in a randomly selected adult Swedish population > or = 20 years of age. Nine-hundred-and-twenty subjects were examined of whom 669 had their own teeth in occlusion. From those a group of 157 subjects was selected on the basis of objective need and/or subjective demand for orthodontic treatment. The various regimens of treatment required in this group were investigated. The prevalence of malocclusion ranged from 17 to 53 per cent in the various age groups. The spectrum of malocclusion was similar to that previously reported in Swedish children. The awareness of their malocclusion was higher among younger than older subjects and among those who had severe malocclusion. Objective treatment need, evaluated by two experienced orthodontists, was estimated at 11 per cent of the total population, whilst orthodontic treatment was requested by approximately 5 per cent of the population studied.