Attitude toward malocclusion and desire for orthodontic treatment among 9-17 year old Saudis

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.