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Published on: February 5, 2019
Interdisciplinary study of orthopedic and orthodontic findings in pre-school infants
Carsten Lippold1, Louwrens van den Bos, Ariane Hohoff
1Department of Orthodontics, University of Münster, Germany. lippold@uni-muenster.de
Insights
Orthodontic Class II malocclusion in preschoolers correlates with orthopedic issues like scoliosis and poor posture. Early screening is recommended for Angle Class II cases to address potential orthopedic conditions alongside dental treatment.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Orthopedics
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Interdisciplinary studies exploring correlations between orthopedic and orthodontic data are crucial for differentiating preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches.
- Existing literature suggests potential links between specific Angle classes and orthopedic parameters, including scoliosis and weak body posture with Class II malocclusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlations between orthodontic and orthopedic findings in preschool-aged children.
- To evaluate these correlations for the development of preventive recommendations.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 59 preschool infants (mean age 5.0 years) underwent standardized orthodontic and orthopedic examinations.
- Data analysis focused on identifying significant correlations between malocclusion types and orthopedic conditions.
Main Results:
- Orthodontic examination revealed Angle class distributions: Class I (63%), Class II (32%), and Class III (5%).
- Orthopedic examination identified pathological findings in 52% of subjects.
- Statistically significant correlations were found between scoliosis and Class II malocclusion (p=0.033) and between weak body posture and Class II malocclusion (p=0.028).
Conclusions:
- The presence of Angle Class II malocclusion in preschool children warrants prophylactic orthopedic screening.
- Orthodontists should consider potential orthopedic malformations in preschool children with Class II malocclusions for preventive, interdisciplinary care.
- Early orthodontic intervention for Class II malocclusion can prevent incisor trauma and facilitate integrated orthopedic assessment.
Background And Aim:
The assessment of correlations between orthopedic and orthodontic data based on interdisciplinary studies is of scientific and practical interest in the differentiation of preventive diagnostic and therapeutic fields between orthodontics and orthopedics. In the published literature there are various studies analyzing the correlations between specific Angle classes and orthopedic parameters. Results of these studies indicate a potential correlation between scoliosis and Class II malocclusion as well as between weak body posture and Class II malocclusion. The aim of the present interdisciplinary study was to examine correlations between orthodontic and orthopedic findings in pre-school infants and to evaluate them with respect to preventive recommendations.
Patients And Method:
59 pre-school infants (29 boys, 30 girls) aged 3.5-6.8 years (mean: 5.0 years) were enrolled in this study. A standardized orthodontic and orthopedic examination protocol was used.
Results:
The orthodontic examination showed Angle class distributions comparable with those in non-selected groups (Class I: 63%, Class II: 32%, Class III: 5%). The orthopedic examination revealed pathologic findings in 52% of the subjects, with statistically significant correlations between scoliosis and Class II malocclusion (p = 0.033) and between weak body posture and Class II malocclusion (p = 0.028).
Conclusion:
It can be concluded from the results that the orthodontic finding of Angle Class II in pre-school infants should induce prophylactic screening. The orthodontist could then not only initiate early orthodontic treatment to prevent incisor trauma in patients with extreme overjet, but could also take account of potential orthopedic malformations on a preventive interdisciplinary basis in pre-school infants with Class II malocclusions.
