Self-perception of malocclusion among adolescents.

This study investigated the self-perception of malocclusion among 506 15 and 16-year-old children. The Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need was used to allocate each subject to 'no aesthetic need' for treatment, 'borderline aesthetic need', or 'definite aesthetic need' for treatment subgroups. The results indicate that adolescents who were scored by a trained examiner (using IOTN) as having similar dental aesthetics have similar perceptions of their malocclusion irrespective of their gender or social background.