title: Malocclusion and socioeconomic indicators in primary dentition.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of malocclusion and associations with socioeconomic indicators among preschoolers. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 732 children 3 to 5 years of age in the city of Campina Grande, Brazil. Three dentists underwent a calibration exercise (K = 0.85–0.90) and diagnosed malocclusion based on the criteria proposed by Foster & Hamilton and Grabowski et al. Parents/guardians answered a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic aspects. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and bivariate Poisson regression (PR; α = 5%). The prevalence of malocclusion was 62.4%. The most frequent types were increased overjet (42.6%), anterior open bite (21%) and deep overbite (19.3%). An association was found between malocclusion and age: the prevalence of malocclusion was greater among younger children, with the highest prevalence among 3-year-olds (PR = 1.116; 95%CI = 1.049–1.187). The prevalence of malocclusion was high. Mother's schooling and household income were not associated with malocclusion. Socioeconomic factors were also not associated with the occurrence of malocclusion.
authors.forename: Raulison Vieira de
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Ana Karla de Almeida
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pinto-Monteiro
authors.forename: Carolina Castro
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Ana Flávia
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Granville-Garcia
authors.forename: Saul Martins
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paiva
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous