Prevalence of malocclusion in four zones of Karnataka state school children using Ackermann–Proffit system – An epidemiological survey

BackgroundEpidemiological studies of malocclusion not only help in orthodontic treatment planning and evaluation of dental health services but also offer a valid research tool for ascertaining the operation of distinct environmental and genetic factors in the etiology of malocclusion.AimsTo assess the prevalence of malocclusion in 10–16 year old school children in four zones of Karnataka state.Settings and designSchool settings and Descriptive cross-sectional survey.Methods and materialA cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted in all the four zones of Karnataka. School children in the age group of 10–16 years were the target population. Population proportionate technique was employed for the sample size estimation. A total sample of 9505 was randomly selected from 102 schools all over Karnataka.Statistical analysis usedSimple descriptive statistics were used to describe the study variables.Results and conclusionThe prevalence of malocclusion seems to be equally distributed in all the four zones of Karnataka.