title: [Epidemiological study of dental and facial asymmetries in a sample of preschool subjects].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to identify the typologies of facial and dental asymmetries in a sample of children aged between 3 and 6 years and to correlate these asymmetries with possible morphological and functional situations.
  
  
  METHODS
  cross-sectional observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  sample of 95 subjects aged between 3 and 6 years. Clinical data were collected in 10 sessions conducted during school hours in April 2013 by a doctor of Dentistry at two preschools in the city of Sanremo (Liguria Region, Northern Italy) and a kindergarten in the city of Pavia (Lombardy Region, Northern Italy). To collect the data, a weighted clinical questionnaire was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  presence and type of bad habit, type of breathing, presence and type of facial asymmetry, dental formula, presence of diastema, presence and type of occlusal asymmetries, presence and type of dental malocclusions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  analysed sample consisted of 53.7% (51/95) of males and 46.3 % (44/95) females; the mean age was 4.3 ± 0.9 years. Most frequent facial asymmetry is orbits asymmetry (35%, 33/95); dental malocclusions are detected in 70%(67/95) of cases. High percentage of subjects (69.5%, 66/95) presents displacement between superior dental midline (SDM) and inferior dental midline (IDM). Several statistically significant associations are observed: in particular, asymmetry of molar ratios is linked to asymmetry of the cheekbones and displacement of the SDM; facial midline has statistical association with asymmetry of the cheekbones (p <0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the results of this study agree with scientific literature, in particular as regards the prevalence of compromising habits observed and the close correlation between: the presence of dental malocclusions and the presence of compromising habits, the presence of dental malocclusions and the presence of oral breathing.
authors: Marina Consuelo
authors: MC
authors: Vitale
authors: Dipartimento di sanità pubblica, medicina sperimentale e forense, Università di Pavia. federica.barbieri01@universitadipavia.it.
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Barbieri
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Ricotta
authors: Marisa
authors: M
authors: Arpesella
authors: Maria Teresa
authors: MT
authors: Emanuelli
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003970:Diastema / Q000453:epidemiology; D005146:Facial Asymmetry / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009058:Mouth Breathing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014061:Tongue Habits; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous