Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of malocclusion among school children of Bangalore city, India during their mixed dentition period. The sample consisted of 745 children (388 males and 357 females) in the age group of 8-12 years randomly selected from twelve different schools in Bangalore city. The subjects were randomly selected, and none had received previous orthodontic treatment. Occlusal anteroposterior relationships were assessed based on the Angle classification. Also various malocclusion features associated with class I malocclusion according to Dewey’s modification of Angle’s classification were assessed. The results showed that about 71% of the subjects had malocclusion. Class I malocclusion constituted the major proportion of malocclusion which was found in 62% of the studied population. No significant difference was found between boys and girls neither in the overall prevalence of malocclusion nor in various forms of malocclusion. Crowded incisors was found to be most ommon finding in subjects with class I malocclusion. A number of studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of malocclusion among Indian children and it has been reported that the results range from a value as low as 19.6% (Miglani DC, Chennai 1961) to as high as 90% (Sidhu SS, Delhi). This varied range emphasizes the need to standardize criteria for assessing malocclusion.
Highlights
Well aligned teeth contribute to the health of the oral cavity and stomatognathic system, and influence the personality of the individual
The sample consisted of 745 children (388 males and 357 females) in the age group of 8-12 years randomly selected from twelve different schools in Bangalore city
Normal occlusions were found in 29% of subjects, and 71% had malocclusions
Summary
Well aligned teeth contribute to the health of the oral cavity and stomatognathic system, and influence the personality of the individual. Malocclusion compromises the health of oral tissues and can lead to psychological and social problems. In more developed parts of the world, where the specialties of Orthodontics and Pedodontics have been established, adequate basic information is available[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8] on the prevalence of this condition. In developing nations, such information still lack.[9]. With increasing interest in the early detection and treatment of malocclusion and a corresponding emphasis on preventive procedures, it would be beneficial to collect more information on patients at younger age levels
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