Abstract
The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence of individual traits of malocclusion in a sample of three Brazilian regions orthodontic patients and to detect interregional population differences in the prevalence of certain occlusal characteristics. The present study was based on the examination of dental casts, intraoral photographs and panoramic radiographs of 947 orthodontic patients from 3 cities: 363 from Fortaleza (CE), 270 from Maringá (PR) and 314 from Bauru (SP), respectively, representing the Northeast, South and Southeast Brazilian regions. The relationship of the first maxillary and mandibular molars according to Angle’s classification, overjet, overbite, crowding, posterior crossbite and maxillary median diastema were examined. The chi-square and ANOVA tests were used to determine potential differences in the distribution of malocclusion when stratified Brazilian regions. Class I malocclusion was found in 499 (52.69%), Class II in 395 (41.71%) and Class III malocclusion in 53 (5,59%) subjects of all examined. Deep overbite (3.59%), midline diastemas (5.17%) and posterior crossbite (4.75%) were observed more frequently in Bauru; however, in Maringá, normal overbite (13.3%) and open bite (4.75%) were more prevalent. The results of this study showed that Class I malocclusion was the most prevalent, followed by Class II and Class III malocclusions. These occlusal relationships evaluated in the three Brazilian regions follow the same pattern of frequency as the result presented by the general population of the sample.
Highlights
Epidemiological studies are important tools for the knowledge of the treatment needs and evaluating the established measures for these treatments
The results of this study showed that Class I malocclusion was the most prevalent, followed by Class II and Class III malocclusions
Since malocclusion affects a large segment of the population, it is, by definition, a public health problem (Massler & Frankel, 1951), being this way of interest of the community to know its frequency
Summary
Epidemiological studies are important tools for the knowledge of the treatment needs and evaluating the established measures for these treatments. The knowledge of oral health status in different population groups based in epidemiological surveys is fundamental for the actions proposals development adapted to their needs and risks as well as the comparisons possibility that allow the evaluation of these actions impact in the individual’s life (Frazão et al, 2002; Freitas et al, 2002). Based on the observation of these regional singularities in Brazil, whether economic, cultural and/or genetic or the few researches that performed a comparative analysis in the epidemiology of the malocclusion among Brazilian regions, the objective of this study was to compare the prevalence and the most frequent occlusal traits, besides verifying if there are regional differences in the prevalence of such occlusal characteristics in three different Brazilian cities
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