Normative Orthodontic Treatment Need of Nigerian Adolescents – A Comparative Study of Three Major Ethnic Groups

Abstract

Objective: This study was carried out to assess and compare the normative orthodontic treatment need of adolescents aged 12 to 16 years from the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria.
 Methods: The study population comprised one thousand, four hundred and forty-nine (1449) adolescents selected from nine public schools within nine Local Government Areas from three (3) selected states (Lagos, Kano, Imo) in Nigeria. Randomization based on multistage sampling technique was used to determine the selected participants. Consent and assent forms were duly completed and signed by parents and participants respectively. Participants’ parents were from the same ethnic group. Oral examination of the participants was done and their normative treatment need assessed following the standard protocols of Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need. (ICON) Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 20.0. Descriptive, as well as parametric (ANOVA) and non-parametric (Chi-square) statistical analyses were conducted.
 Results: Normative (objective) orthodontic treatment need was observed in 27.7%, 31.5% and 42.8% of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba adolescents, respectively. The mean ICON scores recorded were for Hausa, 33.0±16.1 (SD), 32.1 ± 16.6 (SD) for Igbo and 34.8 ± 16.2 (SD) for the Yoruba, with a statistically significant difference noted among the groups. The mean scores were 33.9 ± 16.2 for males and 32.8 ± 16.4 for females while the combined population mean was 33.4 ±16.3. The males had more orthodontic treatment need than the females in the combined population.
 Conclusion: Yoruba adolescents statistically had the greatest normative orthodontic treatment need while Igbo adolescents had the least among the three major Nigerian tribes.

Epidemiology of orthodontic treatment need in southwestern Ethiopian children: a cross sectional study using the index of orthodontic treatment need

“…On the other hand, a study conducted on 250 school children aged 11-14 years, and 250 patients aged 11-14 years in Turkey showed that 38.8% of the school population and 83.2% of the referred population needed definite orthodontic treatment need [17]. Other studies have also reported a higher finding than the present study [15,16,18,27]. The reported differences in normative orthodontic treatment need may be due to the different methods used and differences among the age groups studied.…”

Orthodontic Treatment Needs of Adolescents in North-Western Nigeria Using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Needs

“…[ 27 ] Differences may be due to age of study populations as malocclusion has been shown to worsen with age,[ 28 ] as well as ethnic variations in perceptions of beauty. Male participants were found to have a greater need for treatment than females as has been seen in studies in Greece[ 29 ] and Nigeria,[ 14 ] whereas a Syrian study did not find any sex predilection. [ 30 ]…”

“…This is slightly lower than the need of 38.1% assessed in adolescents in South Nigeria[ 18 ] but higher than 31.5% found in a similar population in North-Western Nigeria in which the Index of Complexity, Outcome, and Need was used. [ 14 ] The magnitude of need is however much lower than that found among Saudi Arabian children (55.4%). [ 19 ] This difference may be due to ethnic and racial variations as has been identified in another Nigerian study.…”

“…A search of literature revealed only one epidemiological study which compared orthodontic treatment need among adolescents from North-Western Nigeria to adolescents from two other major ethnic groups in Nigeria. [ 14 ] Since no previous attempt has been made to quantitatively assess the orthodontic treatment needs in the region using the IOTN, it is necessary to have epidemiological data to estimate need for orthodontic care in this region. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the need for orthodontic treatment using the IOTN and also to investigate whether age, gender, ethnicity, and religion have any relationship with this need in 12–15-year-old schoolchildren residing in Kano, North-Western Nigeria.…”

Nigerian Orthodontic Patients’ Satisfaction with Duration of Conventional Treatment, their Perception and Attitude towards Accelerated Orthodontics in a University Teaching Hospital

“…By leveraging cutting-edge techniques and technologies, accelerated orthodontics (AO) helps to optimize the alignment of teeth while minimizing the treatment duration and, therefore, provides patients with quicker, more efficient, and aesthetically pleasing outcomes [8]. In fact, accelerated orthodontic techniques aim to address these disadvantages by reducing treatment duration, offering patients a faster and potentially more comfortable path to achieving their desired results with fewer associated challenges [2,9,10,11,12]. Indeed, accelerated orthodontics has revolutionized traditional dental practices by employing innovative techniques to expedite tooth movement and enhance treatment outcomes.…”