Dental and Maxillofacial Institute, Head and Neck Department, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, Postgraduate School of Orthodontics, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2020 Sep;21(3):203-208. doi: 10.23804/ejpd.2020.21.03.09.
Orthodontic treatment need indexes are indispensable tools for collecting aepidemiological information, to define the need for clinical intervention on a graduated risk scale and to monitor the evolution of clinical conditions over time. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the prevalence of malocclusion and associated risk factors, and to compare the prevalence of malocclusion related to children's growth. Investigating the correlation between malocclusion and dental occlusion development is crucial to define orthodontic timing and the most suitable treatment modalities.
A cross-sectional, multi-center, observational study was carried out throughout Italy: 4,422 patients aged between 2 and 13 years were visited. The patients were divided into two age groups: one composed of patients aged 2 -7 years, and one of children between 8 and 13 years of age. The prevalence data were classified according to the items of the Baby ROMA (first group, deciduous/early mixed dentition) and ROMA Index (second group, late mixed/permanent dentition). Pearson's Chi-square test was applied for the calculation of statistical significance in the comparison of prevalence data between the two age groups (P <0.05).
The need for orthodontic treatment among Italian children is high. In the sample aged between 2 and 7 years, the most frequent malocclusions are the moderate and severe open bite (23%), moderate and severe Class II (21.2%), deep bite (18.8%), cross bite (16.5%), Class III (7.7%), and crowding (5.1%). In the sample aged between 8 and 13 years the most frequent malocclusions are crowding (50.8 %), Class II (33.1%), deep bite (19.2%) crossbite (18.1%), Class III (9.1%), open bite (6.6%), facial or mandibular asymmetries (3.3%), and functional asymmetries (3.2%). It was found a statistically significant variation of the different malocclusion conditions according to age.
The study confirms that some risk factors occur during growth, and worsen the malocclusion. Therefore, it is important to reduce this risk of worsening by counteracting those factors with an early orthodontic intervention. Some malocclusions are less affected by environmental risk factors. In these case it would be better defer treatment until adolescence.
正畸治疗需要指数是收集流行病学信息不可或缺的工具，用于在分级风险量表上定义临床干预的需求，并监测临床状况随时间的演变。本研究的目的是评估错畸形的患病率和相关危险因素，并比较与儿童生长相关的错畸形的患病率。研究错畸形与牙齿咬合发育的相关性对于确定正畸时机和最合适的治疗方式至关重要。
本研究是一项在意大利进行的横断面、多中心、观察性研究：共对 4422 名年龄在 2 至 13 岁的患者进行了就诊。患者被分为两组：一组由 2-7 岁的患者组成，另一组由 8-13 岁的儿童组成。根据 Baby ROMA（第一组，乳牙/混合牙早期）和 ROMA 指数（第二组，混合牙晚期/恒牙早期）的项目对患病率数据进行分类。采用皮尔逊卡方检验比较两组年龄组之间的患病率数据的统计学意义（P<0.05）。
意大利儿童对正畸治疗的需求很高。在 2 至 7 岁年龄组的样本中，最常见的错畸形是中度和重度开颌（23%）、中度和重度 II 类（21.2%）、深覆颌（18.8%）、交叉颌（16.5%）、III 类（7.7%）和拥挤（5.1%）。在 8-13 岁年龄组的样本中，最常见的错畸形是拥挤（50.8%）、II 类（33.1%）、深覆颌（19.2%）、交叉颌（18.1%）、III 类（9.1%）、开颌（6.6%）、面型或下颌不对称（3.3%）和功能不对称（3.2%）。根据年龄发现不同错畸形情况存在统计学显著差异。
该研究证实，一些危险因素在生长过程中发生，并使错畸形恶化。因此，通过早期正畸干预来对抗这些因素，减少这种恶化的风险非常重要。一些错畸形受环境危险因素的影响较小。在这些情况下，最好推迟到青春期再进行治疗。
