September 2007

Objective: To assess the distribution, prevalence and severity of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs in schoolchildren from the northeast of Brazil aged between 13 and 15 years. Research design: Cross-sectional study. Participants: A sample of 600 adolescents (264 males and 336 females) randomly selected and representative of schoolchildren living in Recife (Brazil) was obtained from 12 public schools. Method: The need for orthodontic treatment was measured using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Results: Most of the subjects (77%) were deemed to require orthodontic treatment. Only about 5.8% had a handicapping malocclusion that needed mandatory treatment. A severe malocclusion for which treatment was highly desirable was recorded in 47.5% of the adolescents and 23.7% had a definite malocclusion for which treatment was elective. Three main occlusal features were responsible for allocating subjects into the group of “orthodontic treatment required”: crowding (47.3%), tooth loss (22.3%) and maxillary overjet of more than 3mm (21.8%). There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in mean DAI scores between males and females. Conclusions: 77% of adolescents from northeast Brazil were in need of orthodontic treatment for dental health reasons. The distribution of DAI scores among Brazilian adolescents is different from that reported in other populations. This study provides baseline data on the need and demand for orthodontic treatment among Brazilian students. Key words: Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), malocclusion, treatment need