Assessment of knowledge and awareness among urban and rural female population about malocclusion, esthetics, and orthodontic treatment

Abstract

Aims and Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of the females about malocclusion, esthetic appearance, and orthodontic treatment among urban and rural female population. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted as a cross-sectional study among the general population of Karnataka, India. A self-administered semistructured questionnaire consisting of a total of 18 questions were used to assess knowledge and awareness about dentist and orthodontist and knowledge about orthodontic treatment among urban and rural female population. The data were entered into Excel and were analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics V. 22. Results: In the present study, a total of 200 females participated comprising 100 participants in each rural and urban population. When awareness about dentist was assessed, 98% of urban population were aware of difference between general medical and dental profession compared to rural populations (65%). 85% of urban and 68% of rural population believed that healthy and well-arranged teeth are important for the good facial appearance. 45% of urban population and 18% of rural population had knowledge about orthodontic treatment. Conclusion: There is a moderate level of awareness among the female patients about dentist, orthodontist, and knowledge about irregular teeth. Malocclusion always has an impact on social and psychological behavior of the general population. Hence, there is a need to explore about how individuals perceive and react to malocclusion and also utmost important to create awareness about treatment for malocclusion. Clinical Significance: At present, orthodontic treatments are commonly recognized as a treatment for malocclusion. The dentists especially orthodontists play a major role in this aspect, and this can be achieved by conducting education programs for patients and having advisory hubs on orthodontic treatment in rural areas, which will discuss benefits and likely complications to spread awareness among public.