Assessment of awareness for orthodontic treatment needs in medical and dental students of Army Medical College Rawalpindi.

Objectives: To assess the awareness among medical and dental students of Army Medical College Rawalpindi towards malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs.
Methods: It was a descriptive study carried out in the students of Army Medical College with the age group of 18-22 years. A total of 100 students were considered out of which 50 were medical students and 50 were dental students. A verbal informed consent was taken from the participants.
Inclusion criteria:
Students who had no prior history of orthodontic treatment.
Exclusion criteria:
History of previous orthodontic treatment.

A preformed standardized questionnaire was used consisting of 15 questions regarding the awareness of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs.The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 and results were presented in the form of tables and graphs using descriptive statistical analysis.
Results: 1.The Medical Students exhibited a mild to moderate level of awareness about oral health, malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs. 2.The dental students had significantly better awareness about orthodontic treatment and treatment needs.
Conclusions: The medical students have less knowledge about oral & dental problems as compared to dental students.