The implementation of the Handicapping Labio-Lingual Deviation index on access to orthodontic care.

Objectives: In 2017, the state of Illinois changed the system by which they define severe malocclusion from the DentaQuest Orthodontic Criteria Index to the Handicapping Labio-Lingual Deviation Index (HLD). The purpose of this study was to compare subjects who were submitted for coverage under either the DentaQuest Orthodontic Criteria Index or the HLD index to see if a difference exists in the number of subjects who received coverage and the type of malocclusions that were covered.

Methods: All subjects evaluated for orthodontic coverage by the Illinois Department of Human Services for treatment at the University of Illinois, College of Dentistry during the years 2016 and 2017 were included in this study.