The influence of aesthetics on the development of children within society has increased, leading to rigorous orthodontic treatments without taking into account the real need. Objective: To evaluate the orthodontic treatment needs of a group of children and see their relationship with sex and age, as well as compare the clinical characteristics found related to the index of priority orthodontic treatment needs (IONT). . Materials and methods: 45 children between 8 and 12 years of age who attended the growth and development clinic of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Cooperative University of Colombia, to whom the IONT index was applied. Results: No differences in sex and age were observed in the index score. Orthodontic treatment needs were minimal (grade 2) in 57.8%, followed by moderate need (grade 3) in 26.7%. No record of severe needs (grade 5) was presented. Conclusion: In children between 8 and 12 years old who consulted the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, a high need for orthodontic treatment was not found.