Prevalence of Malocclusion and Treatment Needs among School Children in Urban Areas of Pakistan.
Keywords:
Malocclusion, Prevalence, Need of orthodontic treatment, School Children, Dental Aesthetic Index, IOTNAbstract
Background: Malocclusion is a prevalent childhood oral health issue which may influence the mastication, speech, esthetic appearance and psychosocial well-being. Having the capability to identify and treat early is a significant aspect toward avoiding complications in the long term.
Aim: To identify the level of malocclusion and the orthodontic treatment requirement of school children.
Methods: The study used a cross-sectional survey to sample 380 school children aged between 6-15 years. Multistage random sampling of public and private schools was used to select the participants. Clinical evaluation of malocclusion was determined by the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) and treatment requirements were determined by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). The data were examined using SPSS v24 and the associations were checked with Chi-square tests, and p < 0.05 was regarded as significant.
Results: The prevalence of malocclusion was found to be 63.2 with Class I malocclusion being the most prevalent (34.2%), then Class II (18.4%), and Class III (10.5%). The occurrence of normal occlusion was 36.8. The need of orthodontic treatment was moderate in 34.2% and definite in 28.9% of respondents.
Conclusion: Malocclusion is very common among school children and significant number of them need orthodontic treatment. It is suggested to use early screening and preventive programs in school to make sure that the disease is detected and controlled timely, enhancing the oral health, aesthetics and life quality..
Downloads
References
Ali, R.A., et al., Oral health–related quality of life among dental implant patients in relation to temporomandibular joint function. Medical Journal of Babylon, 2022. 19(4): p. 609-614.
2. Kuzieva, M.A., Malocclusion–Modern Views, Types and Treatment. American Journal of Bioscience and Clinical Integrity, 2024. 1(10): p. 103-109.
3. Atasever İşler, A.A., Y. Hezenci, and M. Bulut, Prevalence of orthodontic malocclusion in children aged 10–12: an epidemiological study. BMC Oral Health, 2025. 25(1): p. 249.
4. Leck, R., et al., The consequences of living with a severe malocclusion: A review of the literature. Journal of orthodontics, 2022. 49(2): p. 228-239.
5. Chugh, T., et al., From Self-Esteem to Oral Health: The Multi-dimensional Impact of Orthodontic Therapy, in Advances in Sports Science and Technology. 2025, CRC Press. p. 1050-1058.
6. Amponsah, A.A., Prevalence of Malocclusion and Orthodontic Treatment Needs in African Adolescents: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Dental Sciences & Research, 2023: p. 125-144.
7. Yin, J., et al., Prevalence and influencing factors of malocclusion in adolescents in Shanghai, China. BMC Oral Health, 2023. 23(1): p. 590.
8. Kinzinger, G.S.M., J. Hourfar, and J.A. Lisson, Prevalence of malocclusions requiring treatment according to the KIG classification: a multipart cross-sectional study over a 20-year period in the district of Viersen/North Rhine. Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics/Fortschritte der Kieferorthopädie, 2025. 86(6): p. 374-391.
9. Choedon, T., et al., Nutritional status of school‐age children (5–19 years) in South Asia: A scoping review. Maternal & child nutrition, 2024. 20(2): p. e13607.
10. De Ridder, L., et al., Assessment of orthodontic treatment need, treatment complexity, treatment priority, and oral health-related quality of life of healthy children and adolescents: A scoping review. Community Dental Health, 2025: p. 0265539X251405585.
11. Moore, M., Comparison of three orthodontic indices of treatment need in a university clinic. 2023.
12. Anyikwa, C.L. and C.E. Ogwo, Enhancing oral health outcomes through public health policy reform. Frontiers in Oral Health, 2025. 6: p. 1604465.
13. Londono, J., et al., Prevalence of malocclusion in Turkish children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Clinical and experimental dental research, 2023. 9(4): p. 689-700.
14. Vedovello, S.A.S., et al., A 4-year follow-up of the need for orthodontic treatment using the Dental Aesthetic Index-DAI: an exploratory analysis. Brazilian oral research, 2025. 39: p. e007.
15. Tariq, S., et al., ASSESSMENT OF ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT NEED IN ADOLESCENT POPULATION USING INDEX OF ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT NEED (IOTN): A MULTI CENTRE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. JOURNAL OF KHYBER COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY, 2025. 15(04): p. 8-13.
16. Bayarsaikhan, O., et al., Prevalence of Malocclusion and Orthodontic Treatment Need in 9-to 12-Year-Old Schoolchildren in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Cureus, 2024. 16(7).
17. Ragab, R.A., Prevalence of Malocclusion in Early Childhood and Its Impact on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Children: A Cross-Sectional Study. Egyptian Dental Journal, 2025. 71(2): p. 1133-1144.
18. Trivedi, S., et al., Perceptions of the dental attractiveness and orthodontic treatment needs among the school-going population of the rural areas of Lucknow. International Dental Journal of Students' Research, 2023. 11(3).
19. Singh, R.N., et al., Prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs among 12-15 years old school children in Patna, Eastern India. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 2019. 8(9): p. 2983-2989.
20. Patel, K.V., et al., The Prevalence of Malocclusion and Orthodontic Treatment Need in 13-15 Years Old School Going Children of Mehsana District, Gujarat: An Epidemiological Study. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 2024. 16(Suppl 1): p. S495-S497.
21. Rashid, Z.J., et al., Orthodontic treatment needs in 10–12-year-old school children from Sulaimani City, Iraq: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health, 2025. 25(1): p. 556.
22. Alyami, D., et al., Prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs among adolescents in Najran City, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Orthodontic Science, 2023. 12(1): p. 60.
23. Akbulut, Y. and S.E. Akgün, Prevalence and determinants of orthodontic malocclusions in children: a multifactorial analysis. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine, 2025. 8(5): p. 889-895...
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
