European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

CURRENT METHODS TO ASSESS THE OPTIMAL ORTHODONTIC REFERRAL TIMING DURING THE GROWTH PERIOD

Maria-Angelica Bencze1, Elina Teodorescu, Cristina-Crengu?a Albu*, Adriana Vasilache, Ruxandra Ionela Sfeatcu, Anca-Oana Dragomirescu and Ecaterina Ionescu

ABSTRACT

Anthropological studies show that in recent centuries the prevalence of dento-maxillary anomalies has increased several times in the general population. Depending on the type and the severity of the dento-maxillary anomaly, its clinical signs may be evident on children even from the period of the temporary or early mixed dentition. The practitioners who have the main responsibility to identify and refer the patients to orthodontic evaluation are frequently the general dentist and the pedodontist. One of their clinical task is to identify those children who would need and benefit from the early orthodontic intervention, in order to prevent the deterioration of their oral health condition. In particular, skeletal facial anomalies need an early diagnosis to prevent their evolution toward severe facial malformations. In such cases, the timely establishment of the orthodontic treatment allows the use of the body's growth potential in the sense of correcting the dento-maxillary anomaly, and often reduces the need for complex treatments in adolescence or adulthood. The scientific literature offers several guiding principles for assessing the need of orthodontic treatment by the general practitioners as part of routine patient assessment. The present review comprises the main methods of analysing the indications of orthodontic consultation at the age of growth.

Keywords: orthodontic referral, malocclusions, treatment need indexes, early orthodontic treatment.