Prevalence of Orthodontic Malocclusions in Healthy Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding the prevalence of malocclusion and different orthodontic features in children and adolescents. Methods: The digital databases PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Open Grey, and Web of Science were searched from inception to November 2021. Epidemiological studies, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and comparative studies involving subjects ≤ 18 years old and focusing on the prevalence of malocclusion and different orthodontic features were selected. Articles written in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese were included. Three authors independently assessed the eligibility, extracted the data from, and ascertained the quality of the studies. Since all of the included articles were non-randomized, the MINORS tool was used to score the risk of bias. Results: The initial electronic database search identified a total of 6775 articles. After the removal of duplicates, 4646 articles were screened using the title and abstract. A total of 415 full-text articles were assessed, and 123 articles were finally included for qualitative analysis. The range of prevalence of Angle Class I, Class II, and Class III malocclusion was very large, with a mean prevalence of 51.9% (SD 20.7), 23.8% (SD 14.6), and 6.5% (SD 6.5), respectively. As for the prevalence of overjet, reversed overjet, overbite, and open bite, no means were calculated due to the large variation in the definitions, measurements, methodologies, and cut-off points among the studies. The prevalence of anterior crossbite, posterior crossbite, and crossbite with functional shift were 7.8% (SD 6.5), 9.0% (SD 7.34), and 12.2% (SD 7.8), respectively. The prevalence of hypodontia and hyperdontia were reported to be 6.8% (SD 4.2) and 1.8% (SD 1.3), respectively. For impacted teeth, ectopic eruption, and transposition, means of 4.9% (SD 3.7), 5.4% (SD 3.8), and 0.5% (SD 0.5) were found, respectively. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to clearly define orthodontic features and malocclusion traits as well as to reach consensus on the protocols used to quantify them. The large variety in methodological approaches found in the literature makes the data regarding prevalence of malocclusion unreliable.

Assessment of Different Orthodontic Treatment Need Indices

“…11,12 Literature acknowledges the importance of an inclusive valuation of orthodontic treatment needs from both an objective and a subjective perspective as being of value to public health authorities, health care providers and patients, especially in terms of their oral health-related quality of life. 13,14 Studies undertaken previously to assess orthodontic treatment need revealed varying rates of agreement between DAI, IOTN-DHC, & IOTN-AC. Kappa coefficient (Cohen's κ) in the range of 0.31-0.55 was found in all the studies, suggesting a mild to moderate agreement between these indices.…”

The Cognitive and Emotional Aspect in Fibromyalgia: The Importance of the Orofacial Sphere

“…Xerostomia involves a high percentage of patients, with a maximum of 71% of findings; this condition can favor the onset of infections of the teeth and gums and create the conditions for an altered dental occlusion [ 15 ]. Malocclusion is defined as an alteration of the relationship between the upper and lower first molars; this condition lays the foundations for the detection of oral infections, becoming a vicious circle [ 16 ]. The same infections can alter the arrangement and presence of the teeth, causing malocclusion [ 17 ].…”

Fusion Analyser: a novel measurement method and software tool for dental model analysis in orthodontics

“…Malocclusion is defined as a misalignment or incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches when they approach each other as the jaws close. It ranks third among oral diseases following dental caries and periodontal disease, affecting more than 3.5 billion individuals worldwide, resulting in substantial economic losses globally [8]. The World Dental Federation reports that malocclusion negatively influences oral health, increasing the risk of dental caries, periodontitis, trauma, and 6 These authors contributed equally to this work.…”