ABSTRACT:

The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with severe malocclusion in young people in Sobral, Ceará, Northeastern Brazil. This is cross-sectional study nested in a cohort study with a sample of 569 young people aged from 17 - 21 years who participated in the survey on oral health. The rate of categorized dental aesthetics of Dental Aesthetic Index < 31 and Dental Aesthetic Index ≥ 31 was used. The independent variables were: data from the beginning of the cohort (socioeconomic conditions in childhood and exposure factors) and the last survey (sociodemographic data, use of dental services and self-perceived oral health). Poisson regression was performed to determine the best explanatory model of related factors. The prevalence of severe malocclusion was 20.0%. Private school was a protective factor, while the use of a pacifier for more than 36 months was a risk factor. Malocclusion was associated with all measures of self-perception and dental trauma. Socioeconomic factors in childhood stimulated prolonged use of harmful habits and these were risks for the components of Dental Aesthetic Index factors. Socioeconomic conditions were associated with occlusal condition of the youth.

Keywords:
Malocclusion; Risk factors; Dental health surveys; Socioeconomic factors; Pacifiers; Oral health