Analysis of Incisor Classification of Malocclusion in Pre-School Children

OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to analyse the incisors as a means of classifying malocclusion in pre-school children. METHODS: A sample of 505 pre-school children between the ages of 2-4years-of-age were randomly selected from public and private schools in three local government areas of Edo State. The incisors were examined under natural light and classified using the British standard classification of malocclusion. RESULTS: Incisor Class I occlusion was seen in 90.6%, Class II in 2.4% and Class III in 7.0% of the total sample studied. The 4 year-old-age group exhibited a higher frequency of malocclusion in Class II. Class III incisor relationship was also relatively high and showed no significant decrease with age (PĨ0.05). Frequency for Class III malocclusion was more (58.5%) in boys than in girls (41.5%). CONCLUSION: The absence of the first permanent molars makes incisor classification of occlusion a viable tool in the diagnosis of malocclusion in preschool children. This study has shown that majority of Nigerian preschool children have class I incisor occlusion. The relatively high prevalence of Class III in the 4 year-old-age group tends to suggest that incisal attrition may be a contributory factor of this observation.