Oral Hygiene Behaviors and Their Association with Angle Malocclusion Classes in Children Aged 6-9 Years: A WHO...

Childhood oral hygiene behaviors are crucial to preventing oral diseases and can influence the development and progression of malocclusions. The World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Questionnaire is a standardized tool for assessing oral hygiene behaviors, oral health-related behaviors, and preventive dental awareness in children.

This study aimed to assess oral hygiene behaviours and examine associations between WHO Oral Health Questionnaire variables and Angle malocclusion classes among children aged 6-9 years.

This cross-sectional study included 90 children aged 6-9 years from the Pristina region, Kosovo. Data were collected using the WHO Oral Health Questionnaire for Children, which assessed oral hygiene habits, toothbrushing frequency, fluoride awareness, dental attendance, dietary behaviors, oral symptoms, and oral-health-related quality of life. Malocclusion was classified according to Angle classification into Class I, II, and III malocclusions with 3D intraoral scanners, Aerolscan 3. Descriptive statistical analysis, Chi-square (χ²) test, Spearman correlation analysis, and reliability analysis using Cronbach's Alpha were performed using SPSS Statistics 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) and Statistica 7.1 (StatSoft Inc., Tusla, OK, USA).

Most participants reported regular oral hygiene practices, with 46.7% brushing their teeth two or more times daily. However, limited awareness regarding fluoride-containing toothpaste was observed, as most children answered "don't know" regarding fluoride use. Occasional toothache or oral discomfort was reported by 33.3% of participants, while 23.3% reported dissatisfaction with dental appearance. Difficulty biting hard foods was present in 34.4% of children. Reliability analysis of the Q10 section demonstrated moderate internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.500). Chi-square analysis demonstrated no statistically significant association between Angle malocclusion classes and WHO questionnaire variables (p > 0.05). The highest χ² value was observed for tooth-cleaning frequency (Q7) (χ² = 11.97; p = 0.152), although the association remained statistically non-significant. Psychosocial impact questions and oral health-related quality of life questions also demonstrated no statistically significant association with malocclusion classes.

oral hygiene practices, preventative oral health practices, and oral health-related experiences were comparatively similar among children in different Angle malocclusion classes. Although there were no statistically significant correlations found between malocclusion classes and WHO questionnaire variables, the results show that some children have psychosocial concerns about their dental appearance and insufficient awareness of preventive oral health. The WHO Oral Health Questionnaire is a useful epidemiological tool for evaluating pediatric oral health behaviors and may help build youth orthodontic and preventive oral health policies.