Analysis of the correlation between malocclusion, bad oral habits, and the caries rate in adolescents

BACKGROUND: Malocclusion deformity and caries are common oral diseases in adolescents. In order to explore the correlation between malocclusion deformity and caries prevalence in adolescents, this study analyzed the influence of factors such as poor oral habits on caries in adolescents. METHODS: In this study, 1,093 adolescents aged 11 to 14 enrolled in 2–3 schools in Zhangjiakou area from September 2020 to June 2021 were selected as the research subjects. The basic data of these adolescents were collected by questionnaires. Malocclusion and caries were examined by on-site inspection. Their bad oral habits were also investigated. After data collection, the chi-square test, logistic regression, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test were used for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that the incidence of malocclusion was 72.66% and the caries rate was 68.8% among adolescents aged 11–14 in this area. The 4 bad oral habits of biting, mandibular protrusion, lateral chewing, and mouth breathing were the influencing factors of malocclusion in adolescents. Bad oral habits, malocclusion, and frequent consumption of sugary beverages were independent risk factors for caries in adolescents, and significantly positively correlated with the caries rate. CONCLUSIONS: Malocclusion and the four bad oral habits were independent risk factors of caries in adolescents.