Sudanese Individuals with Special Need

Background: Malocclusion plays an important role on the overall health of individuals, careful attention to malocclusion in individuals with special needs leads to a considerable improvement in the quality of their life. Aim: To determine the prevalence of malocclusion and the orthodontic treatment need among Down’s syndrome, deafness and cerebral palsy individuals in Khartoum state, and compare the results with normal individuals of the same age group. Methods: All individuals with special needs were examined for determination of malocclusion and need for treatment, and compared with matching number and age of normal individuals. Results: Crowding and Class III Angle’s were found to be the highest malocclusion in Down’s syndrome individuals, whereas Class II over jet and over bite were found to be the most prevalent malocclusions in individuals with cerebral palsy. Deaf individuals were at most need for orthodontic treatment (47.8%). Conclusion: Sudanese with special needs have high prevalence of malocclusion and are of more need for orthodontic treatment than normal individuals.