Prevalence of Orthodontic Malocclusions in Healthy Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding the prevalence of malocclusion and different orthodontic features in children and adolescents. METHODS: The digital databases PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Open Grey, and Web of Science were searched from inception to November 2021. Epidemiological studies, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and comparative studies involving subjects ≤ 18 years old and focusing on the prevalence of malocclusion and different orthodontic features were selected. Articles written in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese were included. Three authors independently assessed the eligibility, extracted the data from, and ascertained the quality of the studies. Since all of the included articles were non-randomized, the MINORS tool was used to score the risk of bias. RESULTS: The initial electronic database search identified a total of 6775 articles. After the removal of duplicates, 4646 articles were screened using the title and abstract. A total of 415 full-text articles were assessed, and 123 articles were finally included for qualitative analysis. The range of prevalence of Angle Class I, Class II, and Class III malocclusion was very large, with a mean prevalence of 51.9% (SD 20.7), 23.8% (SD 14.6), and 6.5% (SD 6.5), respectively. As for the prevalence of overjet, reversed overjet, overbite, and open bite, no means were calculated due to the large variation in the definitions, measurements, methodologies, and cut-off points among the studies. The prevalence of anterior crossbite, posterior crossbite, and crossbite with functional shift were 7.8% (SD 6.5), 9.0% (SD 7.34), and 12.2% (SD 7.8), respectively. The prevalence of hypodontia and hyperdontia were reported to be 6.8% (SD 4.2) and 1.8% (SD 1.3), respectively. For impacted teeth, ectopic eruption, and transposition, means of 4.9% (SD 3.7), 5.4% (SD 3.8), and 0.5% (SD 0.5) were found, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need to clearly define orthodontic features and malocclusion traits as well as to reach consensus on the protocols used to quantify them. The large variety in methodological approaches found in the literature makes the data regarding prevalence of malocclusion unreliable.

Self-Esteem and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life within a Cleft Lip and/or Palate Population: A Prospective Cohort Study.

(1) Objective: To investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and self-esteem (SE) of a population with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) and to compare it with a non-affected control cohort. (2) Materials and methods: This study comprised 91 CLP patients and a control group of 790 individuals, seeking orthodontic treatment. OHRQoL and SE were assessed by the Child's Perception Questionnaire (CPQ) and the Dutch adaptation of the Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Treatment need and self-perception of oral aesthetic were assessed using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and the Oral Aesthetic Subjective Impact Scale (OASIS). Patients' expectations and motivation for treatment were also scored. Linear models were used for statistical comparisons between groups. (3) Results: The cleft group scored higher in all domains of the CPQ, OASIS, IOTN and regarding SE for the domains of scholastic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance and behavioral conduct. The cleft group was not only more motivated and expected less discomfort during treatment but also had higher expectations for the treatment outcome. (4) Conclusions: The OHRQoL of CLP patients is strongly correlated with the presence of an oral cleft, while SE remains a personal resource not influenced by the malocclusion or medical condition.