The seven-year outcome of an early orthodontic treatment strategy.

The benefits of early orthodontic treatment are continuously discussed, but studies are few. We examined whether definite need for orthodontic treatment could be eliminated in public health care by systematically focusing on early intervention. One age cohort living in a rural Finnish municipality (N = 85) was regularly followed from ages 8 to 15 years, and persons with malocclusions were treated according to a pre-planned protocol. Treatment need was assessed according to the Dental Health Component (DHC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need, and treatment outcome by the Peer Assessment Rating Index (PAR). Fifty-two percent of the cohort received treatment, and definite treatment need decreased from 33% to 9%. In the treated group, the mean PAR score reduction was 63%, and 51% showed more than 70% improvement. The results suggest that an early treatment strategy may considerably reduce the need for orthodontic treatment in public health care with limited specialist resources.