ORO-DENTAL PREVENTION
Prevalence of malocclusions in a sample of 4-5-year-old Bulgarian
children
Keti Yovcheva 1a* , Miroslava Yordanova 1b , Svetlana Yordanova 1c , Nina Musurlieva 2d
¹Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University – Plovdiv, Bulgaria
²Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University – Plovdiv, Bulgaria
DMD
DMD, PhD
c
DMD, PhD
d
DMD, PhD
a
b
Received: October 11, 2016
Revised: November 14, 2016
Accepted: November 29, 2016
Published: December 01, 2016
Academic Editor: Ioan Danilă, DDS, PhD, Professor,“Gr. T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Jassy, Jassy, Romania
Cite this article:
Yovcheva K, Yordanova M, Yordanova S, Musurlieva N. Prevalence of malocclusions in a sample of 4-5-year-old Bulgarian children. Stoma Edu J.
2017;4(1):68-73.
Abstract
The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of malocclusions in a sample of 4-5-year-old
children.
Methodology: 471 boys and girls participated in this observational cross-sectional epidemiological
study. The presence of spacing, no spacing and crowding, anteroposterior, transverse and vertical
occlusion relationships was assessed and analyzed.
Results: Normal occlusal relationships were found in 35.6% of all children. Generalized spacing was
found in 78.2% of the subjects, followed by no spacing in 16.1% and crowding in 5.7%, respectively.
Class I canine relationship was found in 64.1% of the children, followed by Class II in 29.1% and
Class III in 9.6%. A flush terminal molar relationship was found in approximately 70% of the children,
followed by mesial and distal molar relationships equally distributed. An increased and decreased
overjet was observed in 9.5% and in 4.9% of the children. An anterior cross-bite was documented in
6.4% of all the examined children. An unilateral posterior cross-bite and a bilateral posterior cross-
bite were observed in 3.2% and in 1.5% of the sample. A posterior edge-to-edge bite was found in
1.9%. A normal overbite was found in 30.1% of all children; a deep bite with and without gingival
contact was registered in 27% and in 8.5% respectively; an anterior open bite was seen in 7.2% of
the children and a posterior open bite in 1.3%. The percentage of mandible lateral deviation cases
is 2.5%.
Conclusion: Due to the high prevalence of malocclusions with 64.4%, early attention may be given
to orthodontic prevention measures.
Keywords: cross-sectional study, occlusal relationship, prevalence, prevention, malocclusions.
1. Introduction
The last study conducted on the prevalence of
malocclusions in primary dentition in Bulgaria was
in the middle of the 80’s, where almost all of the
children were included in organized contingents
and strictly examined by a dentist or an orthodontist
every year. At that time an oral health prevention
program was developed, which included
orthodontic services for the masses. 1,2 After the
change in health politics, this program is no longer
active and occlusal characteristics, prevalence and
the types of malocclusions in the primary dentition
are not regularly registered and analyzed. An
optimal occlusion in primary dentition is essential
for the further development of the occlusion in the
permanent dentition. 3,4,5,6 The current preventive
program for the Bulgarian children is mostly
orientated to caries prevention and according to
literature, caries-reducing measures are not likely
to have a significant influence on the formation of
malocclusions in primary dentition. 7
We need some present-day data about the
prevalence of malocclusions in primary dentition
and the aim of this study is to estimate dental
*Corresponding author:
Dr. Keti Yovcheva, DMD, Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University – Plovdiv, av. Hristo Botev 3, Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria
Tel/Fax: +359.889.623.842 / +35. 932.631.651, e-mail: [email protected]
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