Onyeaso Chukwudi O, BeGole Ellen A
Orthodontic Unit, Department of Child Oral Health, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine/University College Hospital, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
J Contemp Dent Pract. 2006 May 1;7(2):87-94.
To assess the objective orthodontic treatment needs of patients treated in an accredited Orthodontic Clinic in North America using a retrospective cross sectional study and the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI).
One hundred pre- and post-treatment study models were randomly selected from the model storage facility of the clinic. Only the pre-treatment study models were assessed using the DAI. The pre-treatment and post-treatment ages for each case were noted as recorded on the corresponding study models. The range for the pre-treatment age was 10 to 52 years, and from 12 years, 4 months to 54 years for the post-treatment age range. The duration of treatment for each case was calculated by subtracting the pre-treatment age from the post-treatment age (range of treatment duration, 9 to 125 months). Descriptive statistics as well as chi-square statistics were employed to analyze the data.
Fifteen cases had normal or minor malocclusions with no treatment or slight need for treatment. Definite malocclusions with treatment highly desirable accounted for 22 cases and severe malocclusion with treatment highly desirable was found in 16 cases. Forty-seven cases had handicapping malocclusion with treatment considered mandatory. While a statistically significant association (p<0.05) was found between duration of treatment and severity levels of malocclusion (DAI scores), the association between pre-treatment age and DAI scores was not significant (p > 0.05).
Eighty-five percent of the study sample needed orthodontic treatment with different malocclusion severity levels, while 47% of the cases qualified for publicly subsidized treatment due to handicapping malocclusions. The association between duration of treatment and DAI score groups (malocclusion severity levels) was found statistically significant. It could be helpful for more clinic-based (demand populations) studies on treatment needs be undertaken across the globe using the DAI, at least for the purposes of comparison.
采用回顾性横断面研究和牙科美学指数（DAI），评估在北美一家经认可的正畸诊所接受治疗的患者的正畸客观治疗需求。
从该诊所的模型存储设施中随机选取100个治疗前和治疗后的研究模型。仅使用DAI对治疗前的研究模型进行评估。记录每个病例在相应研究模型上的治疗前和治疗后的年龄。治疗前年龄范围为10至52岁，治疗后年龄范围为12岁4个月至54岁。通过用治疗后年龄减去治疗前年龄来计算每个病例的治疗持续时间（治疗持续时间范围为9至125个月）。采用描述性统计以及卡方统计来分析数据。
15例患者存在正常或轻度错牙合，无需治疗或仅需轻微治疗。明确需要进行治疗的错牙合病例有22例，发现严重错牙合且非常需要治疗的有16例。47例患者存在妨碍性错牙合，认为必须进行治疗。虽然发现治疗持续时间与错牙合严重程度水平（DAI评分）之间存在统计学显著关联（p<0.05），但治疗前年龄与DAI评分之间的关联不显著（p>0.05）。
85%的研究样本因错牙合严重程度不同而需要正畸治疗，而47%的病例因妨碍性错牙合符合公共补贴治疗的条件。发现治疗持续时间与DAI评分组（错牙合严重程度水平）之间存在统计学显著关联。至少为了比较目的，在全球范围内使用DAI进行更多基于诊所（需求人群）的治疗需求研究可能会有所帮助。
