Description and analysis of the use of the Dental Health Component of the Index for Orthodontic Treatment Need in patients with mixed and young permanent dentition

Abstract

The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) allows quantifying the need for treatment depending on the severity of the malocclusion, considering different specific indicators of malocclusion. Objective: to describe and analyze the use of the Dental Health Component of the IOTN in patients with mixed and young permanent dentition. Materials and Methods: narrative review study based on the search for scientific articles in the databases: PubMed, Scielo, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, DOAJ and Scopus. Results: The IOTN is an index that provides important data to classify and categorize the needs for orthodontic treatment and occlusal pathologies according to severity; It has also been used as an epidemiological tool and its usefulness for public services must be taken into account. It includes different specific indicators of malocclusion, endorsed as therapeutic needs, classifying them according to their severity: overjet, reverse overjet or negative horizontal overbite, anterior and posterior crossbite, displaced dental contacts, anterior and posterior open bite, vertical overbite or overbite, Pre and post normal occlusion, hypodontia, impacted tooth, impacted tooth, cleft lip and palate or other craniofacial malformations, partially erupted teeth, tilted and impacted against adjacent teeth, supernumerary teeth, dental agenesis. Conclusion: The IOTN is a concrete, practical and reproducible index for trained dentists. Its use favors the timely diagnosis of malocclusions and the determination of the need for treatment of each patient, prioritizing the most severe presentations of malocclusion in therapeutic planning.