Between 70 and 75 percent of minors in Spain present some type of malocclusion, although only one in ten accesses orthodontic treatment, according to a new report prepared by Cleardent.
The document integrates Cleardent's own clinical data with references such as the 2020 Oral Health Survey of the CGD, indexed prevalence studies (Scielo, Redalyc, PubMed), recommendations from SEDO and AEEO, as well as market analysis from GMI Insights 2024.
Malocclusion, understood as any alteration in dental alignment or in the development of the jaw and maxilla, is the third most frequent oral health disorder worldwide and one of the most underdiagnosed in the child population.
According to Cleardent, invisible orthodontics applied at growth ages —"Angel Aligner KiD" for children aged 6 to 10 years and "Angel Aligner Select for adolescents"— has established itself as a first-choice clinical option. "As effective as traditional 'braces' but with a radically different impact on the young patient's experience and on family adherence to treatment," it adds.
A problem that goes unnoticed
The authors of the report emphasize that malocclusion "does not hurt, does not bleed, and does not generate urgency in the pediatrician's office." However, they warn that its effects on chewing, breathing, speech, and self-esteem are well-documented and tend to worsen over time. "One in four children in Spain would need urgent orthodontic treatment, but late diagnosis remains the norm," they add.
In this scenario, various epidemiological studies in Spanish autonomous communities show that between 70 and 75 percent of the child and youth population presents deviations from an ideal oral occlusion. Of these, between 25 and 35 percent require urgent or highly recommended orthodontic treatment, according to the DAI applied in schoolchildren. However, only 9.7 percent of 12-year-old children and 12.6 percent of 15-year-old adolescents wear active orthodontics in Spain (2020 Oral Health Survey, CGD).
Specialists point out that the timing of intervention is decisive: children's jawbones are more malleable and respond better to corrective forces than those of adults. In parallel, they warn that certain oral habits—pacifier or finger sucking, oral breathing, tongue thrusting—can precipitate or worsen these alterations.
Functional, respiratory, and emotional impact
Experts recall that malocclusion can significantly compromise the health and well-being of minors. Among the main consequences, they highlight functional difficulties, such as inefficient chewing, swallowing disorders, and speech problems. Furthermore, certain dental malpositions, such as crossbite, or chronic oral breathing can be associated with a higher risk of respiratory disorders, including sleep apnea.
In the long term, the probability of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction also increases. Dental crowding, for its part, complicates daily oral hygiene, favors plaque accumulation, and raises the probability of cavities and periodontal disease.
On a psychological and social level, malocclusion can have a notable impact. Various studies have described clear differences in the self-esteem of minors with this problem, with a particularly marked impact on girls (Iranzo-Cortés et al., 2020).
Invisible orthodontics in children and adolescents
Cleardent maintains that the adaptation of transparent aligners to children's dentition—with milk teeth, erupting teeth, and developing bone structures—is now a consolidated clinical reality from the age of 6.
Likewise, it indicates that early interceptive orthodontics not only corrects the current problem but, in many cases, avoids or simplifies the need for fixed orthodontics in adolescence, with a reduction in the overall treatment cost.
Along these lines, Cleardent observes an increasing demand for early assessments, driven by better-informed parents, although a gap persists between the high clinical prevalence and the number of children who ultimately begin treatment.
Your network data shows a sustained increase in pediatric consultations, especially between 6 and 10 years old, linked to systems like "Angel Aligner KiD". A higher number of cases referred due to oral habits detected during check-ups is also recorded —oral breathing, tongue thrust, crossbite— and a growth in requests for second opinions from families who had been advised to wait. The predominant profile corresponds to children aged 7 to 10 years with skeletal class II or moderate crowding.
"Malocclusion is the only oral health problem with a window of opportunity that has an expiration date. Acting during growth is not getting ahead: it is acting on time. Each year of delay can mean a longer, more complex, and more expensive treatment," they conclude from Cleardent.