Malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs among school children

Dento-facial appearance has lot to do with the way the people are perceived in the society. Adolescents with significant dentofacial inharmonies are considered at the risk for negative self esteem and social maladjustments. Malocclusion is one of the most wide spread oral health problems that the society is facing. It has not been so thoroughly investigated, probably because the pain and misery caused by this disorder is seldom acute. The demand for orthodontic treatment is increasing in most of the countries including India. Growth and maturation of the jaws almost get completed by 16 and 17 years. So, correcting the malocclusion at this age will reduce the chances of the relapse which otherwise might take place during the active growth period of the local skeletal tissue. This stresses the importance of epidemiological studies depicting the prevalence of different type of malocclusion and the need for the orthodontic treatment .The present study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of malocclusion and need for orthodontic treatment among Senior Secondary School children aged 16 and 17 years in Shimla city, Himachal Pradesh in India.