MALOCCLUSION PREVALENCE IN AN ETHNIC CHINESE POPULATION

Population norms derived from one ethnic group may not necessarily be valid and accurate for other ethnic groups. With the increasing number of ethnic Chinese immigrants in Australia, Europe, and America, it would be useful for dental practitioners to be informed about malocclusion prevalence among Chinese. This study was carried out on 1050 Chinese school children (aged 12-14 years) to assess both qualitatively and quantitatively certain occlusal features. The population was found to have a high incidence of Class III malocclusions compared with caucasians. However, the incidence of Class II malocclusions was quite similar to those reported in caucasians. Normal occlusions occurred in about 7 per cent of this population. Although this percentage was much lower than those reported in blacks, it was similar to those reported in caucasians. Crowding occurred in about 50 per cent of cases, which was slightly less than for those reported for caucasians. Increased overbites were also less common in this Chinese population compared with caucasians. Compared with caucasians, crossbites were also less frequent in this Chinese population.