{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T00:47:48Z","timestamp":1790642868071,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,9]],"date-time":"2017-06-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1496966400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: To study occlusal features and their relation to caries experience in Hong Kong Chinese preschool children. Methods: Seven kindergarten classes in Hong Kong were selected using a stratified random sampling method, and the 4- and 5-year-old Chinese kindergarten children were invited to join the survey. Two calibrated dentists performed the clinical examinations in the kindergartens. Occlusion features, including incisal overjet; canine and molar relationship; median diastema; and primate space as well as malocclusion features, including crossbite; anterior open bite; and scissor bite, were recorded. Caries experience was recorded with the dmft index. Results: A total of 538 children were invited to participate in the study, and finally 495 children were examined (92%). Approximately half (52%) had a normal incisor relationship. Most children had a class I canine relationship (left-79%; right-75%). Approximately two-thirds had a flush terminal plane (left-64%; right-65%). Most children (76%) had a maxillary primate space, and 47% had a mandibular primate space. The prevalence of median diastema, anterior crossbite, and unilateral posterior crossbite was 30%, 12% and 1%, respectively. No bilateral posterior crossbite or scissor bite was found. Approximately half (49%) had caries experience. The mean dmft score was 2.1. Gender and age were not associated with either the studied occlusal features or the mean dmft score (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: Approximately half of the Hong Kong preschool children studied had a normal occlusion, and two-thirds of them had a flush terminal plane. About three-quarters of them had a maxillary primate space, and half of them had a mandibular primate space. Their occlusal traits were not associated with caries experience and prevalence.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph14060621","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,9]],"date-time":"2017-06-09T10:29:59Z","timestamp":1497004199000},"page":"621","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Occlusal Features and Caries Experience of Hong Kong Chinese Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Shinan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Stomatology, Kunming Medical University, Yunnan 650031 China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3618-0619","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Edward","family":"Lo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8167-0430","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chun","family":"Chu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.4317\/medoral.16.e56","article-title":"Incidence of impacted and supernumerary teeth-a radiographic study in a North Greek population","volume":"16","author":"Fardi","year":"2011","journal-title":"Med. 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