Prevalence of Malocclusion in Brazilian Quilombola Adolescents

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of malocclusion in Quilombola adolescents living in rural area in Northeastern Brazil. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 36 Quilombola adolescents aged 12-19 years were evaluated. Data collection was performed at home between January and April 2020 by a trained researcher using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS software and presented using descriptive statistics. Results: More than two thirds of adolescents had already visited the dentist at least once in life (72.2%), with the last dental visit having occurred less than a year ago (57.7%), with predominance of public dental service (84.6%). There was higher frequency of lower anterior misalignment (86.1%) and dental crowding (83.4%) in two segments (55.6%). Almost all adolescents presented dental malocclusion (97.2%), with very severe or disabling severity (44.4%). Conclusion: The prevalence of very severe malocclusion was high in Quilombola adolescents, expressing the need for treatment of this population.

Keywords

• adolescent
• epidemiology
• ethnic groups
• malocclusion