Orofacial analysis on the Adriatic islands: an epidemiological study of malocclusions on Hvar Island

The prevalence of malocclusion was studied on the Hvar island, Croatia. This island is characterized by high rates of endogamy, inbreeding and reproductive isolation. The sample for this study comprised 224 children, 126 males and 98 females from all schools on the island of Hvar (20.2 per cent of the total public school population). The sample was selected according to age, sex distribution, and demographic characteristics. The Angle Classes, overjet, overbite, crowding, spacing, and the type of anterior bite were examined. Class I buccal relationship was found in 47.3 per cent of the subjects, Class II in 45.1 per cent, and Class III in 5.4 per cent. Normal overjet was the most frequent finding (69.9 per cent). Normal overbite was seen in 42.5 per cent, deep in 49.1 per cent, and very deep in 2.7 per cent of the cases. Open bite was diagnosed in seven subjects (3.1 per cent) and edge-to-edge bite in six (2.7 per cent). The frequency of crowding was 57.1 per cent, normal relationships were observed in 34.9 per cent, and spacing in 8 per cent. The results of this investigation showed that the inhabitants of Hvar, who are characterized by a high rate of inbreeding and traditional diet, have more Class II malocclusions, deep bites, and midline shifts than the general Croatian population but not higher than other modern urbanized groups. Since the lack of chewing stress in this population cannot be considered as the main explanation for the above phenomenon, the genetic influence on the development of these occlusal traits in the inbred population of Hvar requires further investigation.