Page 21 - MDJ 2022 Jan-Jun, Volume 45 Number 1

Orthodontic Treatment Need of the Referred Patients in the East Coast of Sabah

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treatment planning, and to reduce subjectivity in the Table 1: Demographic profiles of the patients.
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measurement and assessment among individuals.
Variables n (%) Mean ± SE
This research was done based on the localities of Age - 16.89 ± 0.37
the researchers. Currently in the East Coast of Sabah there 101
are only two orthodontic specialist clinics, located in Gender Female (73.19) -
Sandakan and Tawau. These clinics provide specialist 37
orthodontic services under the Ministry of Health Male (26.81)
Malaysia. The orthodontic referrals came from dental 68
practitioners in Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu, Ethnicity Chinese (49.28) -
Kinabatangan, Beluran, Telupid, Tongod, Kunak, and Bumiputera 55
Semporna.
Sabah (39.86)
The aim of this study was to assess the O t h e r s 15
orthodontic treatment need of the referred patients in the (10.87)
East Coast of Sabah. The outcome of this study would be Primary 128
beneficial in planning the annual budget and manpower source of Dentists (92.75) -
need in the government orthodontic specialist clinic. It also referral
serves as a justification tool for allocation under the finite O t h e r s 10
resources in the Ministry of Health. In addition, the (7.25)
outcome might be useful to assess the level of
understanding and usage of IOTN-DHC among dentists. Most patients had great treatment need, IOTN
Grade 4 (n = 92, 66.67 %), followed by very great
MATERIALS AND METHODS treatment need, IOTN Grade 5 (n = 22, 15.94 %), and
moderate treatment need, IOTN Grade 3 (n = 20, 14.49 %).
This was a cross-sectional retrospective study of Only a few patients had little or no treatment need, IOTN
138 pre-treatment orthodontic records of patients who less than Grade 3 (n = 4, 2.89 %) (Figure 1).
attended the orthodontic consultation at the two
government orthodontic specialist clinics in 2018 (January
to December, 2018) in the East Coast of Sabah. Ethical 80
approval for this study was obtained from the Medical 70 66.67
Research and Ethics Committee (MREC), Ministry of 60
Health Malaysia, and registered with the National Medical
Research Register (NMRR-18-3693-41641). 50
All samples that fulfilled the inclusion criteria Percentage (%) 40
30
were selected via convenient sampling. The inclusion 15.94
criteria were patients who attended the orthodontic 20 14.49
consultation clinic, referred from dental therapists, dentists, 10 2.17
or dental specialists. The exclusion criteria were patients 0 0.72
who presented with congenital syndromes or craniofacial Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5
deformities and patients who previously had orthodontic
treatment.
Figure 1: IOTN-DHC grade of the referred patients.
Data collection was based on written case notes, The most common type of malocclusion based on
radiographs, and study models. Data taken were the IOTN-DHC was crowding, presenting as contact point
demographic data (age, gender, and ethnic group), referral displacement (n = 57, 41.30 %), followed by increased
source, treatment need, and type of malocclusion. overjet (n = 33, 23.91 %) and impacted teeth (n = 16,
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Treatment need was assessed based on IOTN-DHC. All 11.59 %). Other type of malocclusion among the patients
variables were analysed descriptively using Stata 15.
were hypodontia (n = 5, 3.62 %), reverse overjet (n = 7,
5.07 %), crossbite (n = 10, 7.25 %), open bite (n = 3,
RESULTS
2.17 %), increased overbite (n = 1, 0.72 %),
supernumerary teeth (n = 3, 2.17 %), and others (n = 3,
A total of 138 dental records were selected and
analysed. The mean age of the patients was 16.89 ± 0.37 2.17 %) (Figure 2).
years. More than two-thirds of the patients were female DISCUSSION
(n = 101, 73.19 %). Most patients were Chinese (n = 68,
49.28 %) and Bumiputera Sabah (n = 55, 39.86 %). The The IOTN-DHC was used in this study because it
majority of patients were referred by dentists (n = 128, is one of the most commonly used indices. 8,11 It is valid,
92.75 %) (Table 1). quick, reproducible, and easy to use. It categorises
malocclusion according to the level of priority and ranks

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