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Epidemiology of malocclusions and assessment of orthodontic treatment need for the population of eastern Nepal.

AIM
To evaluate the prevalence of malocclusions in eastern Nepal, estimate the treatment need, and compare the findings with those of other populations.


METHODS
Seven hundred patients between 7 and 48 years of age were evaluated. Their orthodontic treatment need was assessed subjectively and via the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) (dental health component [DHC]). Dependency of the subjective assessment grades and those of the IOTN (DHC) on sex were checked with the chi-square test. Age and Angle class were cross-tabulated to test for relationships using analysis of variance (ANOVA).


RESULTS
The prevalence of Class I, II, and III were 67.5%, 28.8%, and 3.7%, respectively. The most common age group was 12 to 24 years. The female to male ratio was 2:1. The subjective assessment indicated that treatment was indicated in 66.9%, urgently indicated in 30.9%, and not indicated in 2.2%. The IOTN (DHC) showed that 62.0% had a severe/extreme need of treatment, 28.1% a moderate/borderline need, and 9.9% little/no need. The mean age was not related to any specific malocclusion. Also, there was no relationship among sex, IOTN, and the subjective assessment grades (except for IOTN grade 4, which was found significantly more frequently in females).


CONCLUSION
Class I malaoolusion is the most common, while Class III is the least prevalent in eastern Nepal. The most prevalent age group seeking treatment was that of 12 to 24 years of age, with more females than males. The majority of those visiting the orthodontic department actually needed treatment.