Malocclusion in Brazilian Schoolchildren: High Prevalence and Low Impact

To estimate the prevalence and severity of malocclusion and test a possible association with negative impacts on quality of life of schoolchildren in Tubarão, Brazil.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample (n = 389) of schoolchildren. Data on oral health-related quality of life were obtained through the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) scale. The malocclusion indicator was the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Prevalence ratios were estimated using log-linear Poisson regression with a robust estimator.

The prevalence of class II, III, and IV malocclusion was 57.3%. The most common dental condition was overjet greater than 3 mm. Girls and older schoolchildren showed statistically significantly higher prevalence of all classes of malocclusion. There were no statistically significant associations between the most frequent malocclusions and dimensions of the impact indicator, except for the presence of overjet greater than 3 mm that was associated the 'cleaning teeth' dimension.

The prevalence of malocclusion was high, but was not statistically significantly associated with impact on oral health-related quality of life.