Prevalence of malocclusion and associated dental anomalies among orthodontic patients in Tanzania

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Malocclusion is prevalent worldwide (56%), among those 81% and 72% are from Africa and Europe, respectively. Dental anomalies often result into malocclusion and complicate orthodontic treatment planning. Dental anomalies can be due to genetic, environmental, systemic conditions and local factors. Objective: The study aimed to examine the prevalence of malocclusion and associated dental anomalies among orthodontic patients in Tanzania. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study involved 390 orthodontic patients. A consecutive sampling strategy was employed. Data were collected by clinical examination and patient’s orthopantomographs (OPG). The clinical examination was done by trained personnel who was calibrated against an experienced orthodontist. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 27.0. Frequency distribution tables were obtained, Chi-square test was computed to determine associations between variables. Multiple logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship between multiple variables. Odds ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were used to determine the associations, and a p-value of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 390 orthodontic patients were enrolled. The majority of the participants had Class I (85.6%) malocclusion. The overall prevalence of dental anomalies was 45.9%. Of these patients, 37.4% had at least one anomaly and 8.5% had more than two dental anomalies. The most common dental anomalies observed were ectopic eruptions (18.2%), tooth impaction (11.8%) and microdontia (10.2%). Overall malocclusion was not significantly associated with dental anomalies. Conclusion: The majority of the patients had Class I malocclusion. In addition, most of dental anomalies occurred in Class I malocclusion. The prevalence of dental anomalies was considerable. Tooth impaction, ectopic eruption and microdontia were the commonly encountered dental anomalies. Overall, malocclusion was not significantly associated with dental anomalies.