Orthodontic Visits According to Socioeconomic Status Among Children Living in the City of Kuopio, Finland: The PANIC Study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine whether the parental socioeconomic status of children was related to the number of orthodontic visits or orthodontic care from birth to adolescence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analyses are based on data from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study in a population sample of 504 children aged 7-9 years at baseline in 2007-2009. Parental education and household income at baseline were used as indicators of parental socioeconomic status. The number of orthodontic visits from birth to the age of 16 years was obtained from local healthcare registers. RESULTS: On average, the participants had 16.1 (standard deviation [SD] 15.6) orthodontic visits during the follow-up period of 15.9 (SD 0.72) years. Of the participants, 58% had received orthodontic care, defined as at least six orthodontic visits including at least one orthodontic procedure and not just screening visits, and they had, on average, 25.8 (SD 14.1) orthodontic visits over the follow-up. Neither parental education nor household income was associated with the number of orthodontic visits or receiving orthodontic care during the follow-up. For instance, compared to low parental education and income groups, high education (-2.86; 95% confidence interval: -6.75; 1.03) and income groups (-0.08; 95% confidence interval: -4.66; 4.51) did not have considerably different numbers of orthodontic visits over the follow-up. Among children from families with lower parental education who received orthodontic care, boys had, on average, 21 visits (95% confidence interval: 16; 26) and girls had 31 visits (95% confidence interval: 25; 36). CONCLUSIONS: Parental socioeconomic status did not seem to affect the number of orthodontic visits or the receipt of orthodontic care among children living in the city of Kuopio, Finland. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study (PANIC) was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01803776.