Prevalence and Severity of Attrition among Adult Class II Division I Malocclusion Patients

Author(s):

Ravindra Kumar Jain*, NorMasitah Mohamed Shukri and Arthi Balasubramaniam

Malocclusion is a deviation of occlusion that describes the malaligment of teeth which can lead to serious oral health problems. Untreated malocclusion can cause irritation to the gingiva and mouth, tooth decay due to cleaning difficulty and attrition of the occlusal surface. Long-term complications include temporomandibular problems, periodontal disease, obstructive sleep apnea and psychological disorders. Dental attrition is a mechanical process of hard tissue loss due to continuous rubbing between opposing teeth, not because of bacteria influence. Etiologies may be malocclusion, dental caries, trauma and carbonated drinks. Individuals with class II malocclusion have higher prevalence of dental attrition compared to other malocclusion. Data collection was done in a university setting. Data regarding patients having class II division I malocclusion were retrieved after analyzing all available case sheets, among which a total of 279 case records were selected. Excel tabulation and SPSS version 23 was used for data analysis. The following parameters were evaluated based on the dental records; age, gender and severity of attrition. A modified version of the tooth-wear index was used to assess the severity of attrition. 59 out of 279 patients with class II division I malocclusion had attrition of which the highest prevalence was seen in females than males. Common attrition type observed was incipient (57.7%) followed by moderate (14.3%). Dental attrition was associated with gender, it was more prevalent in women and was statistically significant, p value<0.05. There was no statistical significance between age groups and attrition (p>0.05). Within the limits of current study, the high prevalence of attrition among class II division I malocclusion subjects was seen in females in the 20-30 years age range.