Sains Malaysiana 42(6)(2013): 759–764

Assessment of Orthodontic Treatment Needs Using a Modified Aesthetic Scale

(Penilaian Keperluan Rawatan Ortodontik Menggunakan Skala Estetik yang Diubahsuai)

Sharihan Khasim, Asma Alhusna Abang Abdullah & Rohaya Megat Abdul Wahab

Department of Orthodontic, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Nurul Asyikin Yahya

Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Received: 23 July 2012/Accepted: 17 October 2012

ABSTRACT

Early treatment of orthodontic problems is important to ensure the best outcome and to avoid social stigmatization. Treatment is often prioritized based on scales such as the index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Unfortunately, the conventional aesthetic component of IOTN measurement is slanted towards Caucasian malocclusions. Thus, Asian children find it particularly difficult to rate their appearance on this scale and therefore treatment may be wrongly prioritized. This study aimed to assess the use of a newly modified aesthetic scale in assessing orthodontic treatment need in adolescent. A total of 522 16-year old children were recruited. The subjects as well as the examiner rated the subject’s own dentition according to the conventional scale of aesthetic component of IOTN and the newly modified aesthetic scale. Questionnaire was given to assess the practicality of the two scales. When conventional scale was used, subjects and examiner tends to rate more to the no/slight treatment need category. However, when the newly modified scale was applied, the rating has skewed to the moderate/great need treatment category in both subjects and examiner. Moderate inter-agreement between examiner and subjects were detected when using the modified scale while poor agreement was found when using the conventional scale. Moreover, subjects found the modified scale to be easier and faster to use and more relevant to their own dentition. In conclusion, the newly modified aesthetic scale can be suggested as a better tool in assessing level of orthodontic treatment need in adolescent.

Keywords: Aesthetic; IOTN; orthodontic assessment; treatment need

ABSTRAK

Menjalani rawatan awal untuk permasalahan ortodontik adalah penting dalam memastikan hasil yang terbaik dan dapat menghindari keaiban sosial. Keutamaan untuk mendapatkan rawatan selalunya menggunakan skala seperti Indeks Keperluan Rawatan Ortodontik (IOTN)’. Malangnya, skala konvensional ini cendurung ke arah maloklusi ‘Caucasian’. Ini menyebabkan kanak kanak Asia sukar untuk menilai penampilan mereka menggunakan skala ini dan keutamaan untuk rawatan mungkin disalahtafsirkan. Penyelidikan ini bertujuan untuk menguji kegunaan satu skala estetik baru yang diubah suai dalam menilai keperluan rawatan ortodontik dalam kalangan remaja. Sejumlah 522 remaja berusia 16 tahun telah direkrut. Subjek dan pemeriksa telah menilai gigi subjek itu sendiri berdasarkan skala estetik konvensional IOTN dan skala estetik baru yang diubah suai. Soalan kaji selidik juga telah diberikan untuk menilai keberkesanan kedua jenis skala tersebut. Apabila skala konvensional digunakan, subjek dan pemeriksa cenderung untuk menilai ke kategori tidak/sedikit perlu untuk rawatan. Namun, apabila skala baru digunakan, penilaian telah memencong ke kategori sederhana/sangat memerlukan rawatan dalam kalangan subjek dan pemeriksa. Keserasian pendapat antara pemeriksa dan subjek adalah sederhana apabila menggunakan skala yang diubah suai manakala ketidakserasian pendapat berlaku apabila skala konvensional digunakan. Tambahan pula, subjek merasakan skala yang diubah suai itu lebih senang dan cepat digunakan serta lebih berkait dengan kegigian mereka. Skala estetik baru yang diubah suai ini boleh dicadangkan sebagai satu alat yang lebih baik dalam menilai tahap keperluan rawatan ortodontik dalam kalangan remaja.

Kata kunci: Estetik; IOTN; keperluan rawatan; penilaian ortodontik

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*Corresponding author; email: asmaabdullah@yahoo.com