Prevalence of malocclusions in 8- and 9-year-old children in Germany—Results of the Sixth German Oral Health Study (DMS 6)

Abstract

Purpose Current population-wide data on the prevalence of malocclusions in 8‑ and 9‑year-old children in Germany are not available. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to collect data on the prevalence of malocclusions in 8‑ and 9‑year-old children in Germany. The secondary objective of this study was to use this information to derive the need for orthodontic care provision. Methods This is an oral–epidemiological investigation and social science survey at the national level with a focus on tooth and jaw misalignment. The investigation took place between January and March 2021 at 16 study centers across Germany. All relevant data were available for the 705 study participants and were included in the statistical analysis. Results Overbite was the most common finding with 88.9%. Also widespread were crowding, with at least 60.9%, and lack of space, with a share of 30.9%. All other indication groups had a share below 10%. Rare (< 1%) were buccal and lingual occlusions and craniofacial abnormalities. The most severe forms of disease (Orthodontic Indication Group [Kieferorthopädische Indikationsgruppen, KIG] grade 5) were overbite (3.2%), open bite malocclusion (1.0%), undershot (0.6%), and craniofacial abnormalities (0.4%). The proportion of study participants who required orthodontic treatment, in accordance with statutory health insurance provider guidelines, was 40.4%. The proportion of study participants in principle requiring orthodontic treatment for medical reasons was 97.5%. Systemic differences in the need for orthodontic care provision relating to gender, region, or social status were not identified. Conclusion In general, the need for care provision identified in the orthodontic indication groups corresponds to that shown in previous studies. This suggests that the need for orthodontic treatment in Germany has remained stable over the years.

Frequency and severity of malocclusions in patients with statutory health insurance in a German orthodontic practice in North Rhine Westphalia – a multi-part cross-sectional study over a 20-year period

“…However, the results of the present unicentric study document a consistently high need for initial orthodontic consultation and treatment among statutorily insured patients with a largely constant distribution of anomalies over the entire 20-year observation period. This indirectly confirms the hypothesis established by the comparison of the one-stage unicentric study by Glasl et al [ 5 ], and the current one-stage multicenter DMS•6 study that the need for orthodontic treatment in Germany has remained largely constant over the years [ 10 ].…”

“…As part of the Sixth German Oral Health Study (DMS•6), a representative epidemiological survey of the prevalence of tooth and jaw misalignment was conducted for the first time population-wide in Germany in the group of 8- to 9-year-olds. The results of this study were published in 2023 [ 10 – 13 ]. The primary objective of this study was to identify tooth and jaw misalignment in 8- and 9-year-old children.…”

“…Population-wide representative data for children and adolescents from Germany are scarce. According to various historical cross-sectional studies from different German states [ 3 – 9 ] as well as the current DMS•6 [ 10 – 13 ], up to 97.5% of the children examined have malocclusions of the teeth and jaws in which orthodontic treatment may be indicated for medical reasons [ 10 ]. Depending on study design, objectively confirmed orthodontic treatment need exists in up to 51.7% [ 7 ] of the cases.…”

Chewing ability and associated factors in older adults in Germany. Results from GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS

“…Regarding the indicator on utilization, which asks about dental and orthodontic visits, it should be noted that in Germany orthodontic treatment is not a standard treatment in adulthood. Statutory health insurance covers dental visits, but orthodontic treatment only up to the age of 18 and merely from a certain degree of severity [ 79 ]. It can therefore be assumed that participants reported almost exclusively dental visits.…”

Prevalence of KIG-grades 3–5 in an orthodontic practice in North Rhine Westphalia compared with results of the DMS•6 and with KZBV data

“…As part of the current Sixth German Study on Oral Health (DMS•6), a validated and representative epidemiological survey was conducted in the KFO-6.1 module regarding the nationwide prevalence of dental and jaw malocclusions in 8- to 9-year-olds. These results were first presented at the annual convention of the German Orthodontic Society (DGKFO) in 2022 and subsequently published in the Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics in 2023 [ 3 – 6 ]. The primary objective of this study was to record the prevalence of malocclusions in 8- and 9-year-old children in Germany, and to derive the need for orthodontic care as a secondary objective.…”