Relationship between the Dental Aesthetic Index and Discrepancy Index

• Published in: Journal of orthodontics Vol. 47; no. 3; p. 213
• Main Authors: Plaza, Sonia P, Aponte, Claudia M, Bejarano, Sonia R, Martínez, York J, Serna, Soraya, Barbosa-Liz, Diana M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Cross-Sectional Studies; Esthetics, Dental; Female; Humans; Male; Malocclusion; Orthodontics; Orthodontics, Corrective; Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need; Cross-sectional studies; data collection; linear models; malocclusion
• ISSN: 1465-3133
• DOI: 10.1177/1465312520930729

To establish the association between malocclusion severity and orthodontic case complexity as assessed by the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) and the American Board of Orthodontics Discrepancy Index (ABO-DI), respectively. Cross-sectional study. Pre-treatment dental casts and radiographs from 500 individuals (294 women and 206 men; mean age = 26.06 ± 11.58 years) were randomly selected from the orthodontics department of a private university. Malocclusion severity was assessed using DAI and case complexity was evaluated with ABO-DI. Three previously calibrated operators performed the measurements. Spearman's correlation analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test and a linear generalised model were used for statistical evaluation ( < 0.05 was considered significant). Although the correlation (r = 0.45; < 0.0001) between malocclusion severity and case complexity was moderate, strong evidence of an association ( < 0.001) between dichotomised DAI and ABO-DI total scores was observed. The linear generalised model showed that for each point of increase in DAI score, the ABO-DI score increased an average of 0.3624 points ( < 0.0001). An association between malocclusion severity and case complexity is suggested. A linear generalised model could be used to predict the complexity of the case from the malocclusion severity (DAI score).