The Analysis of Selected Malocclusion Risk Factors: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

Objective: To analyse selected malocclusion risk factors, their exposure time and overall malocclusion risk scores. Material and Methods: The self-prepared questionnaires were collected at dental practitioners' waiting rooms from 6/2014 to 12/2015. The study group consisted of patients treated by dental braces (n=82; 15.5±4.4 years) and the control group consisted of other patients not treated by dental braces (n=45; 17.6±4.7 years). Data were processed by the statistical program SPSS using descriptive statistics. To verify the hypothesis wad used two sample t-test to compare the average exposure scores and the exposure time between the two groups. To determine associations between categorical variables was used Chi-square test. Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05. Results: Our results confirmed longer exposure times in all studied malocclusion risk factors, in the case of pacifier sucking the difference was significant (p=0.001). The longest exposure time was found in mouth breathing in the study group (12.2±6.5 years). The lip sucking/chewing cannot be confirmed as a malocclusion risk factor. The study group had higher level of an overall mean risk score (19.8±11.5) compared the control group (16.1±12.1), although not significant. It can be concluded that non-nutritive sucking habits and/or mouth breathing could have damaging effect to normal teeth development. Conclusion: Malocclusions could be preventable, thus we recommend setting up educational programs for dentists and paediatricians as well as for parents focusing on the improvement of oral health knowledge.