title: Prevalence of malocclusion and related oral habits in 5- to 6-year-old children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the prevalence of malocclusion and the influence of harmful oral habits on deciduous dentition in 5- and 6-year-old children enrolled in Brazilian public elementary schools during 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exams were conducted in 1385 children from 56 Brazilian elementary schools using the method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for epidemiological surveys on oral health. Information about the type of arch, social and economic data and harmful oral habits of the children were collected through a structured questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In relation to canine occlusion, a high prevalence of Class I (74.5%), followed by Class II (19.4%), was found. Among all participants, 22% showed high overjet, 7.8% showed edge-to-edge occlusion and 2.3% showed anterior crossbite. In relation to overbite, 13.2% had short overbite, 14.3% open bite and 16.8% high overbite. The presence of posterior crossbite occurred in 14.6% of children. Maxillae predominantly exhibited the type I arch (67.9%) and mandibles predominantly exhibited type II (51.7%). In relation to harmful oral habits, 43.4% used a pacifier, 84.8% used a bottle and finger sucking was reported by 17.2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a high prevalence of malocclusion associated with oral habits harmful to deciduous dentition.
authors.affiliation: Estadual Paulista University, UNESP, Aracatuba, Brazil. renatar.santos@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Renata Reis
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Joao Guilherme
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Nayme
authors.forename: Artenio José
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Garbin
authors.forename: Nemre
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saliba
authors.forename: Cléa Adas
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Garbin
authors.forename: Suzely Adas
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Moimaz
mesh_terms: D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005386:Fingersucking / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D057887:Overbite / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D041361:Pacifiers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous