___________________________________________________JRAD____________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Received: Dec. 30, 2020: Accepted: Feb. 12, 2021 *Correspondence Dr. Khyati Mahida. Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, NPDCH, Visnagar, Gujarat, India. Email: mahidakhyati89@hmail.com Copyright ©2021 www.jrad.co.in pISSN 2278-0076 eISSN 2321-9270 Journal of Research and Advancement in Dentistry Review Article J Res Adv Dent 2021;11:2s:220-225. Understanding the Use and Objectives of Malocclusion Indices for Evaluation of Malocclusion Traits and Orthodontic Treatment Needs Khyati Mahida 1* Ajay Kubavat 2 Shrish Charan Srivastava 3 Harsh S. Modi 4 1 Reader, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, NPDCH, Visnagar, Gujarat, India. 2 Professor and Head, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, NPDCH, Visnagar, Gujarat, India. 3 Professor, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, NPDCH, Visnagar, Gujarat, India. 4 Senior Lecturer, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics, NPDCH, Visnagar, Gujarat, India. ABSTRACT Background: The malocclusion indices have been used routinely by researchers to gather data regarding the prevalence of orthodontic treatment needs and trait. The scoring methods of malocclusal indices can be used to generate data regarding the actual load of the malocclusion which can be used for resource and fund allocation and identify the actual orthodontic treatment needs. This article will provide an insight to the various orthodontic indices and its specific indications. Keywords: Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need, orthodontic treatment need, subjective orthodontic need. INTRODUCTION The evaluation of malocclusion is critical in establishing the diagnosis and treatment need of the orthodontic patient. The major concern in studying malocclusion is the availability of a suitable method for recording the presence and severity of orthodontic problem. Thus, orthodontic indices were developed for use in clinical and epidemiological studies related to malocclusion. The scores numerically the relative status of a population on a graduated scale with defined upper and lower limits. Although many indices have been developed but none of the indices can be considered ideal for all purpose [1-3] Evaluation of orthodontic needs, both self perceived and actual needs on the basis of personal, sociodemographic and psychological factors help determine the planning of resources and orthodontic services. The use of malocclusion indices provides us with an objective method of scoring the malocclusion needs and prevents unnecessary referrals by general practitioners. The scoring method can be beneficial in evaluation of level of interest and motivation towards orthodontic treatment which can be useful in planning educational programs in school to create awareness towards orthodontic treatment [4- 6] General Requirements of index: The index should be easy to apply so that there is no undue time loss during field examinations. The examination process should not require expensive equipment. The Criteria for the index should be clear and unambiguous, with mutually exclusive categories. The index should be valid and should be able to measure what it is intended to measure, so it should correspond with the clinical stages of the disease under study at each point. The index should be sensitive and should be able to detect the condition when it is present. The reliability of the index should be high (both intra-rater and inter- rater reliability). The index should be precise and accurate to avoid misleading results and lastly the index should be safe and none demanding to the subjects. (Table 1)