Introduction. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of malocclusions among schoolсhildren from Lviv. Materials and methods. 1,167 schoolchildren aged 6-16 years from Lviv (Ukraine) were examined. Results and discussion. The obtained research data showed that the prevalence of malocclusion in the examined children is, on the average, 63.67±1.41%. It was found that, in children of 6-9 years (early mixed dentition), the prevalence of malocclusion is 57.11±2.43% while, up to 10-12 years (late mixed dentition), the value of this indicator increases to 66.23±2.71%. Among the group of 13-16 year-old children (permanent occlusion), 68.01±2.21% of them revealed orthodontic pathology. Physiological occlusion was found, on the average, in 36.33±1.35% of cases. Angle’s Class I anomalies were diagnosed in 44.30±1.45% cases, Class II anomalies in 16.03±1.07%, while Class III anomalies were diagnosed in only 3.34±0.53% of children. Moreover, among the group of 6-9 year-old ones (early mixed dentition), in 42.89±2.43% of them no orthodontic pathology was detected. With age, the number of such children decreases. Thus, in the age group of 10-12 years (late mixed dentition), physiological occlusion revealed 33.77±2.71% (p<0.05), and in 13-16 years (permanent occlusion) – 31.99±2.21% (p<0.001). It was found that, in 6-9 year-old children, malocclusions of I Class according to Angle occurred in 40.00±2.40% of cases, in children aged 10-12 years there was a tendency to increase to 45.25±2.85%, (p>0,05), and up to 13-16 years – a significant increase to 47.65 ± 2.36% (p<0.05) was recorded. Anomalies of Class II by Angle were observed during the period of early mixed dentition in 13.98±1.70% of cases. In the group of children aged 10-12 years, the percentage with this pathology increased insignificantly by 26.61% while, at 13-16 years – by 20.03%. It should be noted that, on the average, 11.65±0.94% of the subjects were diagnosed with Class II first subclass according to Angle, and 4.37±0.60% – with Class II second subclass. Also observed was that, among all examined children, the percentage with Class III according to Angle was in the range of 3.13±0.86% – 3.58±0.88%, which indicates a slight tendency of increase in this pathology with age. Conclusions. The data obtained indicates a higher frequency of Angle Class I anomalies vs. class II and III anomalies. These studies indicate a lack of preventive work among schoolchildren, and also the importance of further research of the risk factors and mechanisms of dental pathology in these children. The systematic study of the incidence of malocclusion is important for creating a database of morbidity in the country, for planning orthodontic care, while comparing it with similar rates in other countries.
Keywords:- children
- FREQUENCY
- malocclusion