Evaluation of asymmetries in early childhood: Is there a consensus?

Abstract

Craniofacial asymmetries may alter jaw development in babies, thus compromising future occlusion. These changes can start very subtly, which means that an early well-defined diagnosis is necessary. Objective: To ascertain whether there is a consensus among specialists regarding the importance of identifying and treating craniofacial asymmetries in children before they reach six years of age; and to develop and validate a guide to assist general dentists so that they can identify signs of craniofacial asymmetry, thereby directing preventive and minimally invasive approaches in children aged three to six years. Materials and Methods: The guide was created after reviewing the literature. It was validated by 37 specialist professionals with master’s and doctoral degrees. The Delphi technique was used for data analysis, along with the content validity index (CVI) and Cronbach's alpha. Results: Among the evaluators, 81.08% had completed their training more than 10 years ago and 78.38% had been working as dentists for more than 10 years; 2.16% were specialists, 32.16% had a master's degree and 5.41% had a doctoral degree. The agreement between the evaluators through the CVI was 100% and the average Cronbach's alpha was 0.7571, which was considered substantial or acceptable. Conclusion: The guide was developed and validated. Clinical Relevance: This protocol will assist general dentists in making early diagnoses of craniofacial asymmetries among children aged three to six years.