Introduction: There is generally inconsistent appropriate orthodontic referral among local dentists. Orthodontic indices are not routinely used to assess the need for treatment. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) as an educational tool to improve their ability to assess orthodontic treatment need.
Methodology: Local dental officers assessed 30 study models on two occasions (before and after IOTN training) and their findings compared with an expert group for agreement in IOTN scores and referral decisions. Training comprised oral/visual presentation, instruction manuals, ‘hands-on’ and self-study. Kappa statistic (?) was used to assess agreement.
Results: As a group there was no significant improvement in referral decisions after training with only ‘moderate’ agreement (?=0.47), although half of the subjects improved. Agreement was better with aesthetic (?=0.51) than functional (?=0.41) assessment. ‘Sensitivity’ was 82.4% and ‘Specificity’ was 58.2% but both were not statistically significant before and after training.
Conclusion: The IOTN has potential as an educational tool for improving the diagnostic skills of dental officers. More accurate assessment of the Dental Health Component with the IOTN ruler and familiarity with the Aesthetic Component has to be emphasized in future training.