Title:
Prevalence of Crossbite Among Patients Attending College of Dentistry at Hawler Medical University

Authors:
Taban Ibrahim Muhialdeen, Iraq

Abstract:

Malocclusion is considered a major public health problem. Because of the disruptions in dental health and dentofacial aesthetics, the condition may have an impact on one's quality of life. Crossbite is a major orthodontic problem that affects many individuals across the world. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of crossbites among patients attending the dental unit of the College of Dentistry at Hawler Medical University. The sample comprised patients aged 7 to 20 years, of both genders, attending the diagnostic department of HMU/College of Dentistry in Erbil City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The data was gathered over a three-month interval from November 2021 to February 2022. The convenience sampling method was utilized. The entire sample size comprised 140 patients ( 71 females and 69 males). The results were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square tests were performed. Approximately 70.7% of the sample does not present a crossbite, with a near equal distribution between males and females. 15.7% of the whole sample demonstrates an anterior crossbite. Unilateral and bilateral crossbites exhibit lower prevalence rates within the overall sample, around 9.3% and 4.3%, respectively, indicating a lack of statistically significant differences between genders. This study demonstrates that while the majority of patients did not exhibit crossbite, a significant proportion presented with anterior and posterior crossbite, emphasizing the clinical significance of early diagnosis.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.51505/ijmshr.2026.10304