The Occlusal Characteristics of Kosovar Adolescents

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the occlusal characteristics of the maxillary and mandibular dental arches in Kosovar adolescents in relation to gender. Methods and Results: In a cross-sectional study, dental casts of 400 Kosovar schoolchildren (184 males and 216 females, mean age of 15.17 years) were evaluated. Little’s index of incisor irregularity (LII), overjet, and overbite were measured with a digital caliper, and then analyzed and compared by gender. In both the maxilla and mandible, LII for males and females was significantly different, with male values being higher than female values. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in overbite and overjet. Conclusion: In Kosovar adolescents, our findings show significant gender differences in Little's irregularity index. The overjet and overbite were higher in males than in females, but there were no statistical differences between genders in Kosovar adolescents for these parameters.