Early orthodontic treatment need in paediatric age: a prospective observational study in Italian school-children

Aim: This study evaluates the prevalence of Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) in Italian school-children. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted to assess the prevalence of IOTN in patients undergoing a first visit at the Santa Chiara Hospital Paediatric Dentistry Unit in Pisa, Italy. Two thousand, one hundred ninetynine subjects met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study; data on age, gender and concomitant systemic pathologies were collected from medical records. All participants were examined for individual IOTN: the presence of anterior and/or unilateral/bilateral crossbite with or without midline deviation, bad habits (finger, sucking habits, mouth breathing, and tongue thrust), overjet > 3 mm, lack of space for 1.2 and 2.2 eruption were investigated. The presence of one of the above mentioned parameters was considered positive for IOTN. Chi-square test was used to evaluate any statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study confirms the presence of a significant percentage of paediatric patients who need IOTN; early treatment is highly recommended to reduce malocclusion outcomes in the adult population