Occlusal Features, Perception of Occlusion and Orthodontic Treatment

Malocclusion is any deviation in the arrangement of the teeth exceeding the standards of normal occlusion. It may be associated with anomalies within the dental arches (i.e. crowding and spacing), malrelation of dental arches (i.e. anteroposterior, vertical and transverse anomalies) and skeletal discrepancies. The prevalence of malocclusion varies between different populations, ethnicities and age groups. Variations within the same population have also been noticed, especially in respect of both crowding and the sagittal dental arch relationship. Moreover, the criteria for the recorded items (registration methods) seem to play an important role for the variation in the prevalence figures. Epidemiological studies give better understanding for the population malocclusion problems if it can be compared with similar studies bearing the same objectives, methodology and for the same population, therefore this study conducted to search the occlusal features, perception of occlusion and orthodontic treatment need and demand by comparing it with previous Iraqi study.