Prevalance of malocclusion in young Finnish Skolt-Lapps

Two hundred Skolt Lapps aged 8 to 16 years were examined for malocclusion with the aid of intraoral radiography and dental casts. The frequency of loss of permanent teeth was high, particularly of the first molars. Also, many teeth were severely defective because of caries. Hypodontia was very common. The frequency of tipped and rotated teeth was high, probably as a consequence of the frequent loss of neighboring teeth. Space and occlusal anomalies were roughly as common as in urbanized Swedish and Danish materials. The need for orthodontic treatment, judged on a 5-grade scale by one examiner, was found to be greater than in Swedish materials.