Index assessment of malocclusion in schoolchildren in the endemic fluorosis area (pilot study). Part 2
Relevance. The formation of malocclusion is due to some general and local risk factors, well described in the specialized literature. At the same time, information on the possible effect of an increased concentration of fluorides in drinking water on the prevalence and structure of malocclusion in children and adolescents is scarce and contradictory. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of malocclusion in schoolchildren aged 12 and 15 years old, living in the area of endemic fluorosis, using DAI.Materials and methods. A cross-sectional dental examination was performed in 361 (12- and 15-year-old) schoolchildren permanently residing in a settlement with high fluoride levels in drinking water (up to 4.5 ppm). The examined children were divided into several groups based on the presence and severity of dental fluorosis (DF). The study assessed DF according to the WHO classification and malocclusion according to the DAI. The obtained results were statistically processed using the SPSS® Statistics 23.0 program.Results. The study revealed a high prevalence of FD (65.4%) and malocclusion (66.2%) among the examined students. 49% of schoolchildren had mild fluorosis. Incisal segment crowding was the most common malocclusion (DAI, component 2). Pronounced (more than 1 mm) irregularity (DAI, component 5) of the upper incisors was more common than the lower ones. Deviation in anterior-posterior molar relation was the second most common malocclusion (DAI - component 10). Half-a-cusp deviations were twice as frequent as full-cusp deviations. The prevalence of most DAI components was comparable in groups of schoolchildren without fluorosis and with dental fluorosis of different severity. The study noticed an increase in the frequency of deviations in the anterior-posterior first molar relation in patient groups with severe dental fluorosis.Conclusions. The prevalence of most DAI components in schoolchildren without and with dental fluorosis of different severity was comparable. Further research is necessary to verify the obtained results.