Association between the need for normative and self-perceived dental treatment in young Brazilian students

Abstract Purpose: To assess the level of agreement and association between clinical and self-perceived need for dental treatment in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1470 adolescents aged 15-19 years in 36 cities in southern Brazil. The data were collected in 2011 from a questionnaire and clinical oral examination. The clinical criteria used to determine the need for dental treatment were the positive result of clinical examination for one or more variables of presence of caries, gingival bleeding, trauma, need for restorative treatment and need for aesthetic treatment. The question: "Do you think you currently need dental treatment?" was used to assess the self-perceived need for treatment. Results: Of the adolescents, 55.9% were female and 47.1% had an average family income of 1-3 minimum wages. The majority (87.40%) presented normative needs. Regarding self-perception, 74.60% reported a need for dental treatment. There was significant positive agreement between positive self-perceived assessment of dental treatment needs and normative assessment. The sensitivity value was 76.90%, and specificity was 40.90%. The positive predictive value was 90%, whereas the negative predictive value was 20.30%. Adolescents presenting dental caries had a 24% higher prevalence of self-perceived need for dental treatment. The results of this study showed strong agreement between the need for self-perceived treatment and the need for clinical treatment. Conclusions: The positive self-perception of the need for dental treatment in young people can be used as an instrument to evaluate oral health conditions, since it can be used to meet their normative needs.