PREVALENCE AND PATIENT SELF-AWARENESS OF MALOCCLUSIONS IN AFRICAN AMERICANS

Abstract

Objectives: To assess prevalence and patient self-awareness of malocclusions in a population of self-identified African Americans from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area. Methods: 75 self-identified African American dental patients aged 19 - 35 years from Temple University’s dental clinic underwent a clinical exam to assess various types of malocclusions; including molar relationship, canine relationship, overjet, overbite, anterior and posterior crossbite, and dental midline shifts. Patient awareness of the malocclusions was assessed by a visual analog scale (VAS). ANOVA with a stepwise multiple linear regression was applied for the statistical evaluation of means and significance of variables. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: The distributions of Class I, Class II, and Class III molar malocclusion were 75%, 14%, and 7%, respectively, and 75%, 20%, and 5% for canine malocclusion. A midline shift was the most prevalent malocclusion affecting 57%. Regarding vertical malocclusions, the observed deep bite was 17%. Posterior crossbite affected 11% of the subjects, while anterior crossbite affected 10%. With regards to patient awareness, canine classification, overjet and anterior crossbite were predictive variables in a regression model of the VAS score (Adj R2 = .668) and were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Among African Americans patients from Temple University, Angle Class I malocclusion is more prevalent than Class II; the least prevalent is Class III. In the vertical dimension, deep bite is more prevalent than open bite. Posterior crossbite is more prevalent than anterior. The results indicate that patients have a good perception of canine classification, overjet and anterior crossbite. Additional patient education is required for overbite, posterior crossbite and dental midline shifts.