The prevalence of malocclusion among 7–15-year-old Lithuanian schoolchildren

Abstract

The epidemiological data on the prevalence of malocclusion is an important determinant in planning appropriate levels of orthodontic services. The occurrence of occlusal anomalies varies between different countries, ethnic and age groups. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of malocclusion among Lithuanian schoolchildren in the 7–9-, 10– 12-, and 13–15-year age groups assessing occlusal morphology. The study included 1681 schoolchildren aged 7–15 years. The crowding, spacing, overbite, overjet, the relationship of the first upper and lower molars according Angle’s classification, and posterior crossbite were assessed. The study demonstrated that only 257 children had normal occlusion, and 44 had undergone orthodontic treatment among them. The greatest overjet in the studied contingent was 11 mm, and the negative overjet – 3 mm. The overbite ranged between 0 and 6 mm with a mean of 2.29±1.23 mm. Posterior crossbite was recorded in 148 children (8.8%). This study showed that the prevalence of malocclusion among 7–15-year-old Lithuanian schoolchildren is 84.6%. The most common malocclusion was dental crowding. The upper dental arch crowding was registered for 44.1% and lower for 40.3% of all schoolchildren. The class I molar relationship was detected in 68.4% of the subjects, class II – in 27.7%, and class III – in 2.8%.