Prevalence of mallocclusion and associated factors in preschoolers from Salvador-BA in 2019

Malocclusion consists of growth and development abnormalities in the relationship between dental arches and / or jaw bones. It usually has a high prevalence in children of preschool age, so it is considered a public health problem. The present study aims to describe the occurrence of malocclusion among preschoolers in Salvador-BA, as well as, to exploratively identify potential factors associated with this problem. This is an epidemiological cross- sectional study involving a random sample of 1577 children in the pre-school age group (36 to 71 months) who attended municipal public daycare centers in Salvador-BA. The study population had a mean age of 54 months and was predominantly composed of blacks / browns (92.02%) and male children (50.29%). The prevalence of malocclusion was 40.46% and the most prevalent condition was open bite (approximately 14%). Digital sucking was performed by 6.73% of the population and 10.39% used pacifiers. Most children (69.43%) do not have the habit of biting objects, and 26.14% gnash their teeth. The protective factors were breastfeeding age ≥ 12 months (PR = 0.63; CI = 0.48- 0.82) and the habit of grinding teeth (PR = 0.7; CI = 0.52- 0.95); and risk factors: digital suction (PR = 5.24; CI = 3.26- 8.41), pacifier (PR = 2.13; CI = 1.27- 3.57), and low insertion of labial frenum (PR = 1.65; CI = 1.15-2.37) Educational measures with family and guardians are essential to reduce prevalence of the disease.