The Prevalence of Malocclusion among Sixand Nine-year-old School-going Children of Visakhapatnam: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Malocclusion profoundly impacts a child’s emotional well-being and affects an individual’s quality of life. Early identification improves the chances of organising preventive and interceptive treatment to limit the intensity of developmental aberrations. The data for malocclusion among children of Visakhapatnam is lacking. Aim: To study and evaluate the prevalence of malocclusion and ascertain gender dimorphism among six- and nine-year-old school-going children of Visakhapatnam. Materials and Methodols: A cross-sectional, double-stage sample study was conducted among 616 school-going children of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, by a single calibrated examiner using a modified Index for Preventive and Interceptive Orthodontic Needs (IPION). IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25.0, was used to analyse data and Pearson’s chi-square test to elicit gender differences in the prevalence of malocclusion traits. Results: Prevalence among six-year-old children: interproximal caries-38.4%, premature tooth loss-10.1%, supernumerary teeth-0.3%, upper molar rotation-0.3%, lower molar tipping-2%, anterior crossbite-2.7%, posterior crossbite-0.7%, overjet more than 3 mm-5.1%, overbite more than 2/3rd-8.4%, open bite-2%, incompetent lips-13.8%. Prevalence among nine-year-old children: interproximal caries-49.5%, premature tooth loss-8.8%, active frenum-2.8%, supernumerary teeth-0.6%, diastema-3.4%, upper molar rotation-2.2%, lower molar tipping-5%, impended eruption of first permanent molar-1.3%, overjet more than 3 mm11%, overbite more than 2/3rd-12.5%, open bite-2.2%, anterior crossbite-8.2%, posterior crossbite tendency-3.1%, Class I-75.6%, Class II-18.8%, Class III (functional shift)-0.6%, Class III (no functional shift)-3.76%, incompetent lips-16.3%. Conclusion: Children from both cohorts demonstrated malocclusion traits. The nine-year-old group had greater prevalence for all components examined except premature tooth loss. No statistically significant gender dimorphism was found in both cohorts.