Prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs in children with special needs in district Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India

Malocclusion plays an important role in overall oral health of every individual because it is associated with periodontal disease, temporomandibular disorder and may be complicated by an individual disability and special need. To determine the prevalence of malocclusion in children with special needs in District, Mandi, Himachal, Pradesh, India, using DAI and IOTN, and to assess whether the observed malocclusion is affected by sex. The study was consists of 200 children with mental retardation, physical disability, sensory impairment between 10-18 years of age from various special schools for people with special needs. A pre-structured proforma was used to record the findings and socio-demographic information. The special need children were examined in respective schools under natural light, using Dental aesthetic Index (DAI) and Index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN). The prevalence of the malocclusion was found to be more in the subjects with the mental retardation and physical disability followed by hearing and visual impairment. There were no statistically significant differences in DAI and IOTN scores between gender. : The need for orthodontic treatment was found to be more in mentally retarded group than the other groups of special need children as per the IOTN and DAI scores in District, Mandi, Himachal, Pradesh.