AIM This study evaluates the prevalence of Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) in Italian school-children. METHODS A prospective observational study was conducted to assess the prevalence of IOTN in patients… Click to show full abstract
AIM This study evaluates the prevalence of Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) in Italian school-children. METHODS A prospective observational study was conducted to assess the prevalence of IOTN in patients undergoing a first visit at the Santa Chiara Hospital Paediatric Dentistry Unit in Pisa, Italy. Two thousand, one hundred ninetynine subjects met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study; data on age, gender and concomitant systemic pathologies were collected from medical records. All participants were examined for individual IOTN: the presence of anterior and/or unilateral/bilateral crossbite with or without midline deviation, bad habits (finger, sucking habits, mouth breathing, and tongue thrust), overjet > 3 mm, lack of space for 1.2 and 2.2 eruption were investigated. The presence of one of the above mentioned parameters was considered positive for IOTN. Chi-square test was used to evaluate any statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The study confirms the presence of a significant percentage of paediatric patients who need IOTN; early treatment is highly recommended to reduce malocclusion outcomes in the adult population.
               
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