Orthodontic treatment demand--differences between urban and rural areas.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the outcome of orthodontic treatment and the desire for further treatment in 19-year-old young adults treated by specialists in urban and rural areas and to study the influence of the level of education of their parents.

DESIGN

The individuals were clinically and retrospectively examined with reference to malocclusions and orthodontic treatment received during childhood and adolescence.

SETTING

Orthodontic department in Kronoberg County, Sweden.

SUBJECTS

From a sample of 302 young adults, all individuals who had received orthodontic treatment by specialists (n = 60) were selected.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The individuals were compared according to outcome of treatment and place of residence. The pre-treatment need, the residual treatment need, the treatment results, and the desire for further treatment were estimated as well as treatment duration, number of visits, percentages of discontinued treatments and parents' level of education.

RESULTS

There was a higher frequency of individuals without previous treatment and a lower frequency of specialist-treated individuals in rural areas than in urban areas in the county. The treatments implied substantial improvements, with a higher reduction of treatment need and a higher degree of success in patients from urban areas than from rural areas (P < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences according to gender, socio-economic factors, or desire for further treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest a greater degree of tolerance towards malocclusions in individuals in rural areas than in urban areas.