Study of the risk factors associated with the development of malocclusion.

BACKGROUND/AIM Research of the most common causes of irregularities of jaws and teeth is designed in order to find the most efficient mode of their prevention. Frequency of orthodontic malformations (malocclusions) is as high as 60% to 80% in this region with an increasing tendency. Researching the risk factors for orofacial irregularities is designed with the purpose of creating a standardized methodology for risk evaluation, frequency and degree of orthodontic irregularities of face, jaws and teeth. The aim of the study was to identify and analyze the causal factors that lead to forming malocclusions in patients from the Province of Vojvodina and create a uniform methodology for epidemiological research. METHODS The research included 127 patients from the current casuistics of the Vojvodina Stomatology Clinic--Department for Jaw Orthopedics. Data for Questionnaire for Epidemiological Surveillance were obtained from medical records of patients, heteroanamnesis, objective findings, functional analysis of stomatognathic system, and additional diagnostic methods. RESULTS The average number of the risk factors was 2.59 per patient, of which 56% were morphological factors, and 44% functional. Acquired risk factors made up 61% of the total number, while congenital risk factors made up 39%, of which 15% were hereditary and 24% were nonhereditary. CONCLUSION Implementing the Questionnaire for Epidemiological Surveillance, general distribution of anomalies could be presented by the Anomaly index (AI), which dictates the introduction of a standardized questionnaire for epidemiological screening, which would preclude ambiguousness and the differences between the epidemiological research data would be cut to the minimum.