Assessment of Orthofacial Analysis in Indigenous Tribes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: The indigenous tribes still exist in our Chennai, which found quite interesting for us to conduct a survey on the prevalence of malocclusion and facial symmetry. AIM: This study aims to assess the prevalence of malocclusion and facial symmetry in indigenous tribes: the narikurava. Setting and design: The study was a cross-sectional survey.

Material and methods: One hundred and twenty-one individuals participated in the study. The prevalence of malocclusion was assessed as normal occlusion, class 1, class 2 and class 3 occlusion, and facial symmetry was recorded along with facial aesthetic index.

Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics were calculated for all the variables recorded in our study, and chi-square test was done to find the association between the gender and facial aesthetic index.

Results: Among the indigenous tribes, 33.9% had normal occlusion, 31.4% had class 1 occlusion, 14.9% had class 2 div 1 occlusion, 9.1% had class 2 div 2 occlusion, and 10.7% had class 3 occlusion. Males had a higher percentage of normal occlusion than compared to females.

Conclusion: Even an infant wants to have a good smile which is aesthetic in nature; here, in the survey conducted more than 30% of individuals were having a normal occlusion, and only about 9% individuals were having class 2 division 2 which is least occlusion seen among the indigenous tribes.