INTRODUCTION: Malocclusion, defined as change in growth and development that affects dental occlusion, is considered a public health problem, because of its high prevalence and negative impact on quality of life. OBJECTIVE: Assess the prevalence of malocclusion in children 7-9 years old from Pole 1 of the municipal schools in João Pessoa-PB. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a probabilistic random sample of 162 schoolchildren of both genders. The following oclusal findings were observed: molar classes, overjet, overbite, anterior open bite, crossbite and crowding. Data were collected by a calibrated examiner (Kappa = 0.93), organized by the SPSS 13.0 and subjected to descriptive analysis and chi-square test, with a significance level of 5%. RESULT: 89.5% of schoolchildren had some type of malocclusion. 48.1% of the sample were classified as having Class I, 32.1% Class II and 17.9% Class III. The crowding was the most frequent malocclusion (67.3%), followed by increased overjet (48.8%), increased overbite (41.9%), posterior crossbite (11.7%), anterior crossbite (11.7%) and anterior open bite (11.7%). A posterior crossbite was statistically more frequent in males. Class II was associated with increased overjet. CONCLUSION: This population presented high prevalence of malocclusion, which indicates the need for early intervention, with preventive and educational programs or assistance.
Malocclusion; dentition, mixed; epidemiology; oral health