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The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI)

Purpose: To use the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) to evaluate a patient's teeth for need of orthodontic treatment based on aesthetic appearance.

Description

The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) is an orthodontic index which incorporates socially defined aesthetic standards. In addition, it provides a severity measure for psychologic and functional impairment. It consists of 10 components multiplied by weights based on regression coefficients, plus a constant.


Component

Finding

Weight

constant

 

13

missing teeth

number of missing incisor, canine and premolar teeth

6

crowding in incisal segments

number of segments crowded

1

spacing in incisal segments

number of segments spaced

1

diastema

in millimeters

3

anterior irregularity in maxilla

largest irregularity in mm

1

anterior irregularity in mandible

largest irregularity in mm

1

anterior maxillary overjet

in millimeters

2

anterior mandibular overjet

in millimeters

4

vertical anterior openbite

in millimeters

4

antero-posterior molar relation

largest deviation from normal; 0.5 cusp = 1, >= 1 cusp = 2

3

 

where:

• diastema = the space between 2 adjacent teeth on the same dental arch

 

DAI score =

= SUM((finding) * (weight))

 

Interpretation:

• minimum score: 13

• maximum score encountered in reported series of 1306 study models: 66

• The further the score falls from the norm of most acceptable dental appearance, the more the occlusal condition may be judged socially or physically handicapping if left untreated.


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10