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ISSN (Print) 1013-9052
EISSN 1658-3558
The Saudi Dental Journal,
P.O. Box 52500,
Riyadh 11563,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
P.O. Box 52500,
Riyadh 11563,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| Tel. |
966-1-467-7328 |
| Fax. |
933-1-467-7308 / 966-1-467-7534 |
| Email |
saudidj@ksu.edu.sa |
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Attitude toward malocclusion and desire for orthodontic treatment among 9-17 year old Saudis
Hoda M.A. Abdellatif, BDS, MPM, DrPH,
The objective of the study was to determine the attitude to malocclusion and the desire for orthodontic treatment among 9-17 years old Saudis. A cross-sectional epidemiologically study was carried out in a sample of 1459 pre-adolescent and adolescent Saudi subjects aged 9 to 17 years old. To measure the attitude toward malocclusion and the desire for orthodontic treatment, a questionnaire based on an orthodontic attitude survey was used. The findings revealed that 31% of the subjects were dissatisfied with their dental appearance. Children below the age of 10 years were the most dissatisfied. The results indicated a positive attitude towards various aspects of orthodontic treatment such as braces’ appearance and tolerance. However, 17% of the subjects felt that orthodontic braces were ugly and only 20% thought treatment could be quite painful. While a high percentage of the subjects (92%) agreed that proper occlusion is important, only 69.4% of them agreed on the importance of correcting malocclusion. Almost 52% of the subjects indicated a demand for orthodontic treatment. In analysis across age groups, no discernible pattern or statistically significant difference was detected. The majority of the subjects were concerned regarding their malocclusion and showed a desire for orthodontic treatment mainly for aesthetic improvement.
Saudi Dental Journal 2005;17(1):16-23.
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