Part 2 | Early Treatment of Class III Malocclusion: Degree of Difficulty

Seven out of ten children will have developed a malocclusion by the time they have reached peak puberty. In the US population a small percentage of these malocclusions will be Class III. The frequency of Class III malocclusion varies in the general population from 4% among Caucasians to upward of 14% among Asians.¹ Depending upon the ethnic population in the practice location, the private practitioner may have a significant number of Class III patients in one’s practice. In spite of the fact of the location and demographics of specialists the sheer number of malocclusions prevalent in general dentistry makes it impossible for the orthodontic specialty to have the man power to service all of the patients in need of treatment.

Specialties in dentistry have been the natural outgrowth of the enlarged and ever-widening service the profession has offered to the public in the field of dental and oral health. The council of dental education of the American Dental Association first took recognition of this condition during the years 1944- 1955, and as a result of the study defined a specialty in dentistry, listed the specialties worthy of notice, indicated the nature of special training it deemed advisable and expressed its conviction concerning the recognition of specialties.