DENTAL SPACE DISCREPANCIES AMONG ADULT ORTHODONTIC PATIENTS IN AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Malocclusion is an abnormal occlusion with regard to the position of the teeth and shows varied prevalence in different parts of the world. Crowding and spacing of teeth are two common features of malocclusion and are described as a lack or excess of space between the teeth. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of crowding and spacing of teeth and their severity among Malaysian adults aged 18–25 visiting our institution, as well as their association with gender. A total of 150 adult patients were evaluated for crowding and spacing using the Boley caliper intra-orally. The severity of crowding and spacing was also noted. The study included Malay (70%), Chinese (25%), and Indian (5%) participants. Descriptive statistics were done and it was observed that crowding was more common in the mandibular arch (80%), whereas spacing was a common malocclusion found in the maxilla (14%). Based on the severity of crowding, it was observed that mild crowding (1-3 mm) was most frequent in both the maxilla (45%) and mandible (53%). However, in terms of spacing, moderate spacing (4-6 mm) (5.3%) was common in the maxilla; whereas in the mandible, mild spacing (1-3 mm) (9.3%). The Chi square analysis did not reveal any significant association between crowding and spacing with gender. Based on these results, it can be concluded that crowding is a common malocclusion affecting the mandibular arch, whereas spacing is common in the maxilla in the young Malaysian population visiting our institution. Both of these malocclusions were of the milder type and did not show any association with gender in our study population Studies conducted on a larger population are required to determine the association of these traits between genders and races in our population.