Associated Factors For Deep Bite Malocclusion Among Adolescents In An Institutional Setup

Deep bite is characterised by excessive overlap of upper and lower anterior teeth in occlusion. Deep bite malocclusion is associated with excessive attrition of lower anterior teeth, compromised esthetics and temporomandibular joint problems. It is one of the most prevalent malocclusion in India and the south east asian countries. The aim of the study was to determine the association of deep bite with age, gender and type of malocclusion in early permanent dentition patients reported to an institutional setup. From a sample of 86,000 patients who reported to a university hospital setup, case records of patients with deep overbite were selected and included in the study. The study included 90 patients with deep overbite in the age range of 13-17 yrs. Data about the gender, malocclusion and severity of the deep bite was recorded and subjected to analysis using SPSS version 20.0 software. The results of the study showed in a sample size of 90 patients, 49% of the sample size were females and 51% of the cases were males. More patients with severe deep bite are seen within the 15-18 yrs age groups (Pearson chi square test ; P>0.05) . Amongst patients across all ages, deep bite was more common in subjects with Class I malocclusion than class II malocclusion (Pearson chi square test ; P<0.05). The association of gender with severe deep bite can be seen in males (Pearson chi square test ; P>0.05). In both males and females, more number of deep bite cases were associated with Class I malocclusion (Pearson chi square test ; P>0.05).