Abstract:
Background: studies on the relationship between children's malocclusion and its psycho-social
impacts are so far largely unexplored in low-income countries. This study aimed to assess the
prevalence of malocclusion, reported dental problems and dissatisfaction with dental appearance
among primary school children in Tanzania. The relationship of dissatisfaction with sociodemographic
characteristics, clinically defined malocclusion and psychosocial impacts of dental
anomalies was investigated. Orthodontic treatment need was estimated using an integrated sociodental
approach.
Method: One thousand six hundred and one children (mean age 13 yr) attending primary schools
in the districts of Kinondoni and Temeke completed face to face interviews and a full mouth clinical
examination. The survey instrument was designed to measure a Kiswahili translated and culturally
adapted Child Oral Impact on Daily Performance (Child-OIDP) frequency score, reported dental
problems, dissatisfaction with dental appearance/function and socio-demographic characteristics.
Results: The prevalence of malocclusion varied from 0.9% (deep bite) to 22.5% (midline shift) with
a total of 63.8% having at least one type of anomaly. Moderate proportions of children admitted
dental problems; ranging from 7% (space position) to 20% (pain). The odds ratio of having problems
with teeth position, spaces, pain and swallowing if having any malocclusion were, respectively 6.7,
3.9, 1.4 and 6.8. A total of 23.3% children were dissatisfied with dental appearance/function.
Children dissatisfied with their dental appearance were less likely to be Temeke residents (OR =
0.5) and having parents of higher education (OR = 0.6) and more likely to reporting problem with
teeth position (OR = 4.3) and having oral impacts (OR = 2.7). The socio-dental treatment need of
12% was five times lower than the normative need assessment of 63.8%.
Conclusion: Compared to the high prevalence of malocclusion, psycho social impacts and
dissatisfaction with appearance/function was not frequent among Tanzanian schoolchildren.
Subjects with malocclusion reported problems most frequently and malocclusion together with
other psycho-social impact scores determined children's satisfaction with teeth appearance- and
function.
