the prevalence of dental crossbite in students of secondary schools of Kerman city in 1994-95

crossbite is a term used to indicate an abnormal buccolingual (labiolingual) relationship of the teeth and can results in unfavorable effects when it is left untreated.the last growth spurt which occurs about the age of 11-12 years in females and 14-15 years in males,can be useful to plan treatment of this malocclusion.therefore,this investigation was designed to determine the prevalence of dental crossbites in this age group at the secondary schools of Kerman.a total of 3251 students aged between 11-17 years (1621 female and 1630 male)were investogated.the results are as follows:total prevalence of crossbite was 14.34% (95% confidence interval,13.1%_15.5%).in students with crossbite,47.6% exhibited only anterior crossbite,30.7% posterior ,and 21.7% showed both anterior and posterior crossbite.therefore it is recommended that regular periodic oral examination of children should be carried out for proper diagnosis and treatment of crossbite and prevention of its complications.