Occlusion among a group of Tanzanian urban schoolchildren

Occlusion and its variations were studied in a group of primary schoolchildren (n = 642, age 11-18 yr) in Dar es Salaam. Most children (96%) had Angle's Class I occlusion. Distal and mesial bite were rare in the sample, representing 3% and 1%, respectively. Crowding was found to be the most common dental disorder (16%) and the frequency of moderate and severe crowding decreased with age. No clear differences in occlusion were found between boys and girls. The results of this study show smaller occlusal variation compared with Caucasian children, and also some differences compared with previous African studies.