Epidemiologia das maloclusões na dentição decídua e fatores Associados na cidade de Pelotas RS

Abstract

The aims of this transversal study were to evaluate the prevalence and the classification of the malocclusions in children with complete deciduous dentition and to verify the most prevalent malocclusion and its associations with demographic, economic and behavioral variables. 502 children, both male and female from primary schools of the city of Pelotas RS Brazil, were examined after the ones responsible by them signed an informed consent. Data was collected by the means of a questionnaire to be answered by the mothers and by a physical and visual examination of the oral cavity of the children conducted in the schools themselves. The malocclusion prevalence, according to the World Health Organization recommendation, was 29.3% no malocclusion, 32.7% mild malocclusion and 38.0% moderate/severe malocclusion. The most prevalent malocclusion, relevant as it allowed interception in the deciduous dentition, was the anterior open bite, which presented a direct linear tendency with the habit of using pacifiers and duration, association with the frequency and inverse linear tendency with the children s age and maternal schooling. The family income was not associated with the anterior open bite. Therefore, verifying the prevalence of malocclusion in children and being the anterior open bite the most relevant frequent malocclusion found in this study, educational campaigns should be implemented to help in the control of the predisposing factors and to increase the percentage of the normal occlusion.