title: Assessment of the Self-Perception of Dental Appearance, Its Comparison with Orthodontist's Assessment and Demand for Treatment in Eastern Nepalese Patients.
abstract: Aims. The aim of this study was to assess the self-perception of dental appearance among Eastern Nepalese patients using aesthetic component (AC) of the index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) and to compare it with that of an orthodontist's assessment using the same scale and determine whether gender, area of residence, and level of education influence subject's self-perception and orthodontist's ratings. Methods. A total of 252 subjects (equal number of male and female) were conveniently selected. The average ages of subjects were 22.33 ± 2.114 years. The level of subject's perception and orthodontist's assessment was analyzed by nonparametric Chi square test. Kappa coefficient was done to verify its agreement. The Spearman's correlation test was used to check the association of educational level and age. Mann-Whitney test was used to check the associations of sex and areas of residence. Results. The demand for treatment was significantly associated with the perception of the subject and orthodontist's assessment. However, age, gender, and educational level were statistically insignificant in influencing subject perception and orthodontist's assessment. Conclusion. Patient's self-perception should be given equal importance while planning orthodontic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, College of Dental Surgery, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan 7053, Nepal.
authors.forename: Varun Pratap
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, SHKM Government Medical College, Mewat, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, College of Dental Surgery, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
authors.forename: Deepak Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Roy