OCCLUSOPATHIES IN CHILDREN IN EARLY CHILDHOOD UNDER SOCIAL VULNERABILITY (Atena Editora)

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of malocclusion in children under social vulnerability in the early childhood period. This is an observational and cross-sectional study carried out at an institute aimed at monitoring children in socially vulnerable conditions in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará. A representative sample of 363 children aged zero to six years was calculated. Data collection, carried out in 2018 and 2019 by trained examiners and annotators, through intraoral examination under natural lighting, using a wooden spatula and personal protective equipment. The methodological parameters of the SB Brasil 2010 epidemiological survey were used to identify four types of malocclusions, including overbite, anterior crossbite, posterior crossbite and anterior open bite. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and application of the chi-square test. The research project was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Fortaleza under opinion number 2,790,414. The profile of the participants had the majority male (51%), with a family income of one minimum wage or less (76.5%), emaciated nutritional status (54.5%), responsible with elementary education (61.7 %). Of the total number of participants, 295 (81.3%) had never had dental care and 201 (55.3%) had some type of malocclusion. The anterior open bite had a prevalence of 20.4%, the overbite of 17.4% and the anterior and posterior crossbites of 8.8%. Statistical significance (p=0.017) was found in the association between the variable minimum wage and anterior open bite. The prevalence of malocclusion in children in early childhood points to the need for early preventive interventions to minimize the impacts on skeletal and dental development.