Pattern of Malocclusion at the Orthodontic Unit, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos Nigeria

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Objective The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of malocclusion among patients attending the orthodontic clinic, Dental department, of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. Method A retrospective study of one hundred and sixty nine patients who attended the orthodontic clinic, LASUTH from January 2007 to December 2008 was conducted. Information regarding age, sex, and type of malocclusion and index of orthodontic treatment need (The dental health component) was obtained from the patients’ record files. Results The patients’ ages ranged from 4 to 34 years with a mean age of 14.08 ± 5.80. There were 95 (55.9%) females and 74 (44.1%) males. The commonest type of malocclusion was Angle’s class 1 seen in 136 (80%), while Class 2 and Class 3 accounted for 26 (15.4%) and 7 (4.1%) respectively. Crowding was noted in 64 (38.1%) patients while 73 (42.3%) had spacing. Only 14 (8.2%) had associated oral habits such as thumb-sucking, lip sucking, tongue sucking and tongue thrusting. No crowding, spacing or associated oral habit was observed in 18 (11.4%)of the patients. Assessment of need for treatment ,using the dental health component of the index of orthodontic treatment (IOTN), showed 62 (36.7%) had mild need, 76 (45.0%) moderate need , 24 (14.2%) severe treatment need and 7 (4.1%) extreme need for treatment. The degree of need for treatment was not significantly related to patient’s age or gender (p-value>0.005). Conclusion The pattern of malocclusion seen among patients attending orthodontic clinic, LASUTH is comparable to the outcome of previous studies done in other centers in Nigeria. There also seems to be an increasing number of adult patients seeking orthodontic treatment. Majority of the patients require mild to moderate orthodontic intervention. Keywords: malocclusion, Angles classification, oral habits, index of orthodontic treatment need