Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate if high values of DMFT/dmft indices constitute risk factors for installation in various types of malocclusions in mixed dentition.
Material and methods: The study consisted of 600 study-cast with mixed dentitions coming from the children in northeastern Romania. WHO (World Health Organization) dental caries criteria were applied to both groups. The existence of an increased caries risk was deducted from the dmft (decay, missed, filled temporary teeth) and DMFT (Decay, Missed, Filled Teeth) indices related to age. Malocclusion was classified in the three planes in accordance with the major symptom. The statistical study was conducted in SPSS 16.0 for Windows. The risk factors we have identified through calculating the odds ratio and relative risk.
Results: Mean value dmft/DMFT (index in mixed dentition was found 3.64±2.686. The highest values of the dmft/DMFT indices were found in patients with normal overjet (4.73± 2.892) and normal overbite (4.04±2.781). In the transverse plane, the lowest value of DMFT/dmft index was recorded in patients with spacing (2.63±1.915), and the highest values were observed in patients with the combined diagnosis of crowding and lateral cross bite (4.97±3.010) respectively of crowding and spacing (4.65 ±2.792).The presence of malocclusions in the three plans is not influenced by increased DMFT/dmft index (DMFT/dmft>5) unless combined diagnoses of crowding and lateral cross bite, and crowding and spacing where the relative risks are over 2.5.
Conclusions: The present study concluded that the prevalence of dental caries in children with mixed dentition is higher in patients with normal overjet and overbite. In terms of the risk of developing a certain malocclusion with dental crowding associate with lateral cross bite, respectively dental crowding associate false spacing are present under a high caries activities.