| The objectives of this study were to determine the severity of the dentition and occlusion in Down Syndrome (DS) patients versus a control group of non-syndromic patients through an objective occlusal grading system, the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) Index and the Index of Complexity, Outcome, and Need for treatment (ICON). Thirty pretreatment dental study models, panoramic radiographs, and intraoral photos of DS patients were collected from Dr. David Musich's office in Schaumburg, Illinois. These 30 DS patients were compared to a control group of 30 non-syndromic, medically healthy individuals from the same private practice, and an additional 30 non-syndromic, medically healthy patients from a sample at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) orthodontic program. The models, radiographs, and intraoral photos were analyzed and scored via the PAR and ICON index, plus additional information was noted on each case such as missing teeth, impacted teeth, presence of a crossbite, and other dental anomalies seen. By doing this, the three groups could be compared on severity of malocclusion, need for treatment, and the presence of other factors that may indicate treatment for a patient. This was a way to quantify these seventies objectively, rather than subjectively, which has been done in the past.;The results showed that DS group had a statistically significantly larger PAR and ICON score, when compared to each control group, indicating more severe problems of the dentition and the need for treatment. The results also indicated that the control group at UIC had more severe malocclusions than did the control group in private practice. The DS group had agenesis of several permanent teeth 10 times more than the control groups, possessed an open bite in 15 percent of the patients, and possessed a posterior crossbite in 76 percent, and an anterior crossbite in 67 percent. These findings show that DS patients are in need of dental and orthodontic treatment to aid in better quality of life. |
