LIMA, N. M.; LIMA, Natércia Medeiros de.
Résumé:
Malocclusions are a public health problem and have a multifactorial character. To reduce its incidence, knowledge about the profile of patients and the possible causal factors of the manifestation of these dysfunctions is necessary. Therefore, this study aims to trace an epidemiological profile and assess the prevalence of malocclusions in patients aged 6 to 16 years treated in the Child Clinic II discipline at the Dentistry School Clinic of the Federal University of Campina Grande in the city of Patos-Paraíba. The sample consisted of 161 medical records and the data encompassed the following axes: demographic variables, dental history, oral hygiene habits, food and harmful habits and their occlusion tests. It was found that 58% of the sample was female and that 93% of the patients had already gone through their first dental appointment. As for harmful habits, 129 individuals had some harmful habit, with the habit of biting nails being the most mentioned and the habit of sucking the finger the most associated with the development of malocclusions. Regarding orthodontic diagnosis, it was found that the most common alterations were crossbite and open bite, where Angle's class 1 pattern was predominant, followed by class 2 pattern and, finally, class 3 pattern. The importance of dental follow-up from the eruption of the first dental elements is reinforced, as well as the knowledge of the profile of the patients seen and the most frequent problems, in order to provide a foundation for intervention planning.