Prevalence of malocclusion among adolescents in central anatolia.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of malocclusion in a population of Central Anatolian adolescents in relation to gender.


METHODS
The sample comprised 2329 teenagers (1125 boys and 1204 girls), aged between 12 and 17 years (mean age: 14.6 yrs). Occlusal anteroposterior relationships were assessed using the Angle classification. Other variables examined were overjet, overbite, crowding, midline diastema, posterior crossbite, and scissors bite.


RESULTS
The results showed that about 10.1% of the subjects had normal occlusions, 34.9% of the subjects had Class I malocclusions, 40.0% had Class II Division 1 malocclusions, 4.7% had Class II Division 2 malocclusions and 10.3% had Class III malocclusions. Over 53.5% had normal overbites, and 18.3%, 14.4%, 5.6%, and 8.2% had increased, reduced, edge-to-edge or anterior open bite values, respectively. Overjet relationship was normal in 58.9%, increased in 25.1%, reversed in 10.4%, and edge-to-edge in 5.6%. A posterior crossbite registered in 9.5% and scissors bite in 0.3%. Anterior crowding was present in 65.2% of the sample and midline diastema in 7.0%. No clear gender differences were noted, except for normal overbite (most frequent in girls, P<.001) and increased overbite (most frequent in boys, P<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Class II Division 1 malocclusion is the most prevalent occlusal pattern among the Central Anatolian adolescents and the high values (25.1% and 18.3%) of increased overjet and overbite were a reflection of the high prevalence of Class II malocclusion.
Gelgör
Ibrahim Erhan
IE
PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Kirikkale University, Kirikkale, Turkey.
Karaman
Ali Ihya
AI
Ercan
Ertugrul
E