Agreement and association between normative and subjective orthodontic treatment need using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need.

AIMS: To determine the association and level of agreement between young adults' perception of orthodontic treatment need (subjective need) and the orthodontists' assessment of treatment need (normative objective need). METHODOLOGY: For this study, 670 students [280 males and 390 females; mean age (standard deviation) of 15.32 (1.81) years] were selected from public and private schools from different demographic areas of Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia, and divided into two age groups (12-15 years) and (16-19 years). All the participants were examined, and the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) components [dental health component (DHC) and aesthetic component (AC)] were recorded. RESULTS: Kappa statistics showed a statistically significant but fair agreement between clinician AC (CAC) and student AC (SAC) assessments in both age groups (k = 0.343 and 0.334, respectively; P < 0.001), whereas Spearman's correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant but moderate association (r = 0.487 and 0.517, respectively; P < 0.001). The degrees of agreement were 76.4% and 76.7% at the no-need and mild-need levels of treatment, respectively. There was a statistically significant but weak association between the subjective and normative needs (SAC and IOTN-DHC) in both age groups (r = 0.336 and 0.360, respectively; P < 0.001). However, the degrees of agreement were 58.9% and 61.5% at the no-need and mild-need levels of treatment, respectively. CONCLUSION: Significant but weak positive association was found between the normative and subjective orthodontic treatment needs, indicating a lack of understanding of the nature of malocclusion and its consequences. Thus, promoting further knowledge and awareness of malocclusion are indicated.

Pseudo Class III malocclusion.

The treatment of deep anterior crossbite is technically challenging due to the difficulty of placing traditional brackets with fixed appliances. This case report represents a none traditional treatment modality to treat deep anterior crossbite in an adult pseudo class III malocclusion complicated by severely retruded, supraerupted upper and lower incisors. Treatment was carried out in 2 phases. Phase I treatment was performed by removable appliance "modified Hawley appliance with inverted labial bow," some modifications were carried out to it to suit the presented case. Positive overbite and overjet was accomplished in one month, in this phase with minimal forces exerted on the lower incisors. Whereas, phase II treatment was performed with fixed appliances (braces) to align teeth and have proper over bite and overjet and to close posterior open bite, this phase was accomplished within 11 month.