Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the orthodontic status and treatment need of school children in Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, using Dental Aesthetic Index. Malocclusion is a deformity afflicting the human population since ages. It is essential to know the prevalence of malocclusion in any society, as it reveals the true extent of the problem and guides in tackling it. The general public can, then, be educated on widespread occurrence of malocclusion and its deleterious effects, so that appropriate preventive and corrective measures can be instituted. Materials and Methods: Among the 69 schools of Nalgonda town, six schools were selected using simple random sampling technique. All the children in the age group of 12 - 14 years who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were considered for examination. The students were picked until the sample size of 1000 was reached. The information on orthodontic status was obtained using Dentofacial Anomalies with the criteria of Dental Aesthetic Index (W H O Oral Health Assessment form 1997). Results: The prevalence of definite, severe, and very severe malocclusion was higher among females than males, and this difference was statistically significant. Conclusions: 86.1% of the study subjects had DAI score of less than 25, indicating minor malocclusion, suggesting ‘no treatment’.

Malocclusion, DAI, Nalgonda, Orthodontic treatment needs, Young permanent dentition, Awareness of orthodontic treatment