An Investigation on Poor Oral Hygiene Practices Effect on Dental Caries and Malocclusion Rates Among Teenagers Attending Southern Iraqi Secondary Schools

Abstract

Among the prevalent oral conditions affecting adolescents are caries and malocclusion deformity. This study examined the impact of variables including bad dental practices on teenage caries in order to investigate the relationship between malocclusion deformity and caries prevalence. The research subjects for this study were 184 teenagers, aged 11 to 14, who were enrolled in four secondary schools in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq, during the 2018–2019 academic year. These teenagers' basic information was gathered using questionnaires. By doing an on-site examination, malocclusion and caries were examined. We also investigated their bad dental habits. Following the acquisition of data, multivariate analysis was conducted using the chi-square test, logistic regression, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test. In this region, among teenagers aged 11-14, the frequency of malocclusion was found to be 26.63%, while the caries rate was 60.68%. The four bad oral behaviors that affected malocclusion in teenagers were biting, mandibular protrusion, lateral chewing, and mouth breathing. Malocclusion, poor dental hygiene, and frequent use of sugary drinks were all found to be independent risk factors for dental caries in teenagers and to be positively correlated with the caries rate. In adolescents, malocclusion and harmful oral practices were independent risk factors for dental caries.