DefinePK

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Aesthetic and related psychosocial impairment are the major ill effects of malocclusion. Many studieshave concluded that aesthetics, especially alignment of the visible anterior teeth, is often a main motivating factor for see kingorthodontic treatment. The objective of the study was to assess the aesthetic treatment need of orthodontic patients with buccallydisplaced maxillary canines using the “Aesthetic Component of Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (AC-IOTN)”.Methodology: We recruited 158 subjects at Khyber College of Dentistry (KCD), with a chronological age range of 12 to 30 years.Age, gender, aesthetic grade and category of treatment need were noted for all the patients. Version 20.0 of the Statistical Packagefor Social Sciences was used to enter and analyze the data.Results: Our sample consisted of 71 (44.9%) males and 87 (55.1%) females. The mean age of the overall sample was 18.51± 4.2years. There were 82 (51.9%) patients in the “no or little need” category, 25 (15.8%) patients in the “mod erate” treatment needcategory, and 51 (32.8%) patients in the “definite” treatment need category, where most of the patients had a grade 8 need on IOTNAC.Conclusion: On aesthetic need, majority of patients in definite treatment need category fell in the grade 8. Therefore it can beconcluded that buccally displaced canine is one of the primary motivating factors for people to seek orthodontic treatment.