Relationship of crowded teeth and Oral Hygiene among urban population in Medan

Abstract

Crowded teeth could present a challenge in maintaining oral hygiene through brushing, as it is difficult to remove food debris in the interdental area, causing plaque accumulation and calculus formation, which leads to caries and gingivitis, or even destruction of the supporting tissue, which leads to tooth mobility. This study aims to determine the relationship of crowded teeth and oral hygiene among the urban population in Medan. This research is an analytic study with a cross-sectional design. The samples of this research consists of 100 adolescents in Medan. Based on the examination result of 100 subjects, 50 subjects with normal tooth arrangement, and 50 subjects with crowded teeth. This information was determined by examination of the dental condition and Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S) measurement. The examination was performed by placing the explorer on 1/3 incisal or occlusal area and gently moving it to the 1/3 gingival or cervical area on a specific tooth. The results of the study were tested with the Chi-square test. The result shows that subjects with normal tooth arrangement present average OHI-S score of 0.66 which is categorized as good oral hygiene. Subjects with a crowded dentition exhibit an average OHI-S score of 1.33 which was categorized as moderate oral hygiene. The findings of this research reveal that there is a significant correlation between of crowded teeth and oral hygiene among adolescents in Medan. Abnormal tooth arrangement influences the condition of oral hygiene among adolescents.