Comparison of Self-Perception of Esthetics and Orthodontic Treatment Needs among Dental and Non-Dental Students with Assessment by Orthodontist

Objectives: The present study was conducted to compare the self-perception of esthetics and wish for seeking orthodontic treatment among dental and non-dental students. The realistic orthodontic treatment needs were confirmed by expert orthodontist. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 255 male students (Dental—75, Medical—93 and Pharmacy—87 students). The questionnaire included 20 items covering dental esthetics self-perception (10 questions), self-confidence and psychological impact (5 questions), and the need for seeking orthodontic treatment (5 questions) on a five-point Likert scale. The realistic orthodontic treatment needs were confirmed by photographs using aesthetic component of IOTN and clinical examination for the participants and analysis of jaw models using Dental aesthetic index (DAI). Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was used to check the significant difference between groups. Results: The overall average esthetic self-perception score for total sample was 3.83. The overall average psychological impact score for the whole sample was 2.67. The total percentage of participants who either agree or strongly agree with the question related to their perception of need for seeking orthodontic treatment was 70%. According to the assessment of orthodontic needs using AC-IOTN, 19.8% required definitive treatment. According to the assessment of orthodontic treatment needs based on DAI, 20.3% and 9.9% needed highly desirable (DAI 31 - 35) and definite need of treatment (DAI ≥ 36) respectively. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there was no difference between the esthetic perception of dental and non-dental students. The self-perception for seeking orthodontic treatment was over-reported by participants compared to real requirement as assessed by orthodontic specialist. Dental esthetics has no psychological impact on academic performance and self-confidence as perceived by study participants.

Evaluation of Orthodontic Treatment Needs among Widou Schoolchildren in Ferlo (SENEGAL): A Transversal Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate orthodontic treatment needs among Ferlo scholars. The design of the study was descriptive and transversal. For Inclusion criteria, children must live in Widou or live around Widou’s school at least 6 km, be students at primary school of Widou Thiengoly, have a general health state which permits a clinical oral examination and teacher’s and/or parent’s agreement. The investigation was exhaustive and concerned the only school of the locality. More of 4/5 schoolchildren was 10.25 years ± 2.15 old. The majority (83.74%) of children presented an overjet between 0 and 3.5 mm, 1.63% presented a crossbite and 15.45% had OIM and RC different over to 2 mm. More of 30% of schoolchildren presented an overbite between 1 and 2 mm. More of 1/10 of them had an aesthetic teeth perception classified levels 8.9 and 10 corresponding to an orthodontic treatment needed according to IOTN while 20.33% had a score of 4 and 3.25% recorded score of 5 corresponding to a high treatment needed according to IOTN. The results of this study reveal that people need to be informed better about the therapeutic possibilities that orthodontics offer.

Objective and Subjective Dental Treatment Needs among Nursing Home Residents

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze oral, dental and denture hygiene, and the current treatment needs in nursing home residents. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: Nursing homes in Saxony, Germany. Participants and Intervention: Participating dentists recorded the frequency of oral, dental and denture care, dental treatment needs, and the request for treatment in 11,144 nursing home residents by using standardized checklists. Results: Mean age of the residents was 82.5 years, and 74.6% were females. For 54.0% of those examined, nursing staff did care for oral, dental, and denture hygiene. 77.5% of the residents performed oral hygiene more frequently than once daily, 19.8% only once a day, and 2.6% performed oral hygiene less frequent. A need for dental treatment was identified in 64.1% of the residents, of which 34.5% were missing dentures, and 29.7% suffered from dental diseases. 58.3% of the residents not requesting treatment had a clinical need for dental therapy. Objective and subjective need for treatment correlated positively (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Nursing home staff should be aware of the poor oral hygiene and health care conditions in residents. In addition to regular dental check-ups, nursing home residents should be given advice on dental care. Furthermore, dentists and health insurances should develop an action plan to improve oral health of nursing home residents, and to reduce additional costs due to lack of dental care.