title: Prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs among 16 and 17 year-old school-going children in Shimla city, Himachal Pradesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many studies have been conducted in India to know the prevalence of malocclusion and the orthodontic treatment needs using dental aesthetic index (DAI), but no study so far has been conducted in Shimla city, Himachal Pradesh.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To know the prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs among 16- and 17 year-old school-going children in Shimla city, Himachal Pradesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out on 622 (365 boys and 257 girls) school children, aged 16 and 17 years, from February 2009 to May 2009. Type III examination was conducted and the assessment of malocclusion was done according to the DAI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  20.28% of the male and 24.52% of the female students in the sample were affected with malocclusion. The mean DAI scores of the male and female children were 22.26 and 21.79, respectively. Distribution of the four DAI grades was as follows: DAI-I (no abnormality or minor malocclusion) 79.58%, DAI-II (definite malocclusion) 16.39%, DAI-III (severe malocclusion) 3.69%, DAI-IV (very severe/handicapping malocclusion) 0.34%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows that 20.42% of the children examined had malocclusion which required treatment.
authors: Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, H. P. Government Dental College and Hospital, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. dr.viney@gmail.com
authors: V K
authors: VK
authors: Bhardwaj
authors: K L
authors: KL
authors: Veeresha
authors: K R
authors: KR
authors: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003970:Diastema; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061326:Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D024343:Open Bite / Q000453:epidemiology; D057887:Overbite / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*