Objective: This study was planned to assess the prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs among youth population as malocclusion is considered to be one of the significant public health problems in India. Methods: In this cross sectional study a total of 460 students of government and private schools between the age group of 13 to 19 years were examined. Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) was used to check the severity of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs. Student t-test and ANOVA test analyzed the data and the level of significance was at 0.05. Results: It was found that incidents of malocclusion were more among boys and students from private schools. Mandibular anterior irregularity (55.6%) was commonly seen followed by crowding (42.7%) and maxillary anterior irregularity (42.5%). Maxillary overjet was commonly seen and very few subjects (7.4%) had mandibular overjet. Conclusion: The pervasiveness of malocclusion was high and largely seen among students of private school due to more consumption of carbohydrate diet. This unawareness of oral health at this stage of life leads to complexity.
Key words: Malocclusion; Orthodontic needs; DAI index.