title: Malocclusion as a risk factor in the etiology of headaches in children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of occlusal factors in recurrent headaches in children and adolescents without other signs or symptoms of temporomandibular disorders or related craniomandibular disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 50 children and adolescents, ages 8 to 16, who reported headaches was obtained from the University at Buffalo Orthodontic Clinic records; a control group of 50 children and adolescents, matched for age and sex, was also obtained. Plaster models, made during the routine collection of orthodontic records, were used to obtain the following occlusal trait measurements: Angle classification, overjet, anterior and posterior crossbite, scissors-bite, overbite, open bite, dental midline discrepancy, crowding, spacing, and dental development stage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overbite, overjet, and posterior crossbite showed statistically significant associations (chi-square) with increased risk for headaches. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that overjet was a significant factor only because of its correlation with overbite and posterior crossbite. Overjet was not significant after adjusting for the other 2 variables, whereas overbite and posterior crossbite were associated with significantly increased risk (>3:1) of headache. The combination of 2 or more of these 3 occlusal factors increased the risk of headache even more (8.5:1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Posterior crossbite and overbite > or =5 mm were associated with significantly increased risk of headache in children and adolescents.
authors: Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
authors: Chad
authors: C
authors: Lambourne
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Lampasso
authors: William C
authors: WC
authors: Buchanan
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Dunford
authors: Willard
authors: W
authors: McCall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000150:complications*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors