Surveillance of the characteristics and distribution of clinical malocclusion among patients aged 1–74 years during 2015–2022 using a regional health information platform in Ningbo, China

Malocclusion is the third leading cause of oral orthodontic problems and has a prevalence rate of approximately 70% in China. This study aimed to describe the diagnosis and treatment patterns of malocclusion among patients aged 1–74 years in Ningbo, China, using real-world data from 2015 to 2022. A total of 99,761 malocclusion patients from the Ningbo National Health Information Platform were included. Malocclusion was mainly identified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Electronic clinical information about age, sex, diagnosis and treatment, dental examination records, charge item, medical expense settlement, and medical insurance settlement information were collected. The statistical analysis included descriptive analysis, Student’s t test and Pearson chi-square test. The total hospital visit rate for malocclusion was 17.06 per 10,000 people, and it slightly increased over time, with an average annual percent change of 10.36%. The median age of the 99,761 patients with malocclusion was 15 (interquartile range, IQR: 10–24) years, and children and adolescents aged 6–18 years accounted for 58.8% of the sample. In terms of the disease classification, 94,610 (94.84%) patients had dental crowding. A duration of treatment of 1–2, 2–4 and 4 or more years accounted for 23.8%, 24% and 9.1% of the sample, respectively. The distribution of orthodontic treatment at different age stages was remarkably different. Among children aged < 6 years, the most popular orthodontic appliances were functional appliances (47%). For subjects aged 6–12, 13–18 and 19–34 years, traditional fixed appliances accounted for 37.9%, 73.5% and 66.3%, respectively. The cost of orthodontic treatment was generally expensive, but the proportion of medical insurance reimbursement for malocclusion was less than 5%. Dental crowding was the most frequently recorded diagnosis among hospital-treated patients with malocclusion. Children and adolescents aged 6–18 years constituted the largest group seeking hospital-based care, and orthodontic treatment patterns differed across age groups. These findings provide a descriptive overview of the clinical consultation and treatment patterns of malocclusion in Ningbo from 2015 to 2022.