Common dental diseases in children and malocclusion

• Published in: International journal of oral science Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 7
• Main Authors: Zou, Jing, Meng, Mingmei, Law, Clarice S, Rao, Yale, Zhou, Xuedong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 13-03-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescents; Child; Children; Dental caries; Dental disorders; Dental occlusion; Dentistry; Dentition; Humans; Malocclusion - epidemiology; Malocclusion - etiology; Malocclusion - prevention & control; Medicine; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Oral hygiene; Orthopedics; Prevalence; Review; Review Article; Stomatognathic Diseases - complications; Stomatognathic Diseases - epidemiology; Stomatognathic Diseases - prevention & control; Surgical Orthopedics; Teeth; Trauma
• ISSN: 2049-3169; 1674-2818; 2049-3169
• DOI: 10.1038/s41368-018-0012-3

Malocclusion is a worldwide dental problem that influences the affected individuals to varying degrees. Many factors contribute to the anomaly in dentition, including hereditary and environmental aspects. Dental caries, pulpal and periapical lesions, dental trauma, abnormality of development, and oral habits are most common dental diseases in children that strongly relate to malocclusion. Management of oral health in the early childhood stage is carried out in clinic work of pediatric dentistry to minimize the unwanted effect of these diseases on dentition. This article highlights these diseases and their impacts on malocclusion in sequence. Prevention, treatment, and management of these conditions are also illustrated in order to achieve successful oral health for children and adolescents, even for their adult stage.
Catching bad bite in the act
Ensuring oral health in early childhood could prevent the development of jaw misalignment later in life. Xuedong Zhou, of China’s Sichuan University, and colleagues reviewed the latest research on how common dental conditions in children influence malocclusion, where the teeth of the upper and lower jaws do not properly align, causing problems such as overbite, where the lower teeth overlap the upper teeth, or open bite, where a space remains between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed. Tooth decay, prolonged thumb sucking, trauma, and the appearance of additional baby teeth are but a few of the factors that can ultimately lead to malocclusion in adulthood. Early and adequate management of these factors will establish healthy dentition and alleviate or avoid malocclusion, the researchers conclude.