Main Article Content

A study of Malocculusion in the primary dentition in a population of Nigerian children


C.O Onyeaso
E.O. Sote

Abstract

Objective: The understanding and prediction of the permanent dentition depends much on the primary set, but there is still paucity information concerning malocclusion in the primary dentition of Nigeria pre- school children.

Materials & Method: Five hundred and sixty – three (563) children aged 3 -5 year in Lagos and Ibadan, Nigeria drawn from eight randomly selected pre – primary school were examine

Results: Overall, 40.5% of the children were found to have some of malocclusion. Increased overjet was found in 125 of the children wile 1.17% had increased overbite.

Anterior open bite accounted for 6.22%. Crossbite recorded in 12.79% (11.90% anteriorly and 0.89% posteriorly). Scissors bite was 8.88% and dental midline deviation 2.67%.

Anthropoid spaces (Precanine – 100%, Postcanine – 85.44%) were observed in the children. While about 74.60% had all teeth spaced in the incisor regions, 1.24% had no spacing at all in both arches. Straight terminal plane of the primary second molars was diagnosed in 63.7% of the children, mesial step in 31.7% and distal step occlusion in 4.6% of the children. No significant differences in occlusal patterns were found between boys and girls (P>0.05).

KEY WORDS: Malocclusion; Primary dentition; Nigerian children

[Nig J Clinical Practice Vol.5(1) 2002: 52-56]

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2229-7731
print ISSN: 1119-3077