Prevalence of malocclusion and need for orthodontic treatment in Saudi Arabia.

The prevalence of different malocclusion features was investigated in 500 14-yr-old male Saudi Arabian children, using a modification of the registration method described by Björk et al. (3). Most of the children were in dental stage DS4 (all permanent teeth anterior to the first molars erupted). Totally 62.4% of the children had one or more malocclusion features related to dentition, occlusion, or space. The treatment need was evaluated according to the guidelines used in the Norwegian Health Service. About 40% were found to need treatment with fixed appliances, and for 33% extraction of permanent teeth would be part of the treatment. Only about 2.5% would benefit from treatment with simple removable appliances.