Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate and analyze orthognathic deformities of junior middle school students in Ganzhou City and their parents' awareness of correction. METHODS: From January 2019 to December 2020, a stratified cluster sampling method was adopted to select 2 189 middle school students in Ganzhou City and an anonymous self-filling questionnaire survey was conducted. The difference between the students with and without correction of dental deformities was compared. The difference between parents of students with and without orthodontic teeth deformity was analyzed. The data were statistically analyzed with SPSS 18.0 software package. RESULTS: Among 2 189 junior high school students, the incidence of dental and jaw malformations was 54.04%, and the correction rate of dental and jaw malformations was 33.64%. The correction rate of dental deformities in girls was significantly higher than in boys(P<0.05). The correction rate of tooth and jaw deformity in urban students was significantly higher than in rural students(P<0.05). In terms of the students' judgment on the appearance and function of their teeth, some in the orthodontic group mentioned that their teeth were irregular, they would not intentionally cover their teeth with their hands, they cared about others' opinions on their teeth, not satisfied with their feelings about the appearance of their teeth and their teeth affected chewing or articulation were significantly higher than those in the group without orthodontic deformity(P<0.05). In terms of students' cognition of teeth and jaw deformities, the proportion of students in the orthodontic group who did not know about the orthodontic treatment was significantly lower than that in the group without orthodontic treatment(P<0.05). In terms of the concerns about orthodontic treatment, the percentages of the orthodontic treatment group worried about the impact of wearing orthodontic devices on eating, brushing, appearance, fear of tooth extraction and pain were significantly lower than those of the group without orthodontic treatment (P<0.05). Bachelor degree or above educational level of parents and the proportion of working in institutions and public institutions and state-owned enterprises in the orthodontic group were significantly higher than those in the non-orthodontic group(P<0.05). The family monthly income≥10 000 yuan, the proportion of those who thought their children need orthodontic treatment, the proportion of those who were willing to spend time to help their children with orthodontic treatment, and the proportion of those who supported to pay for orthodontic treatment for their children were significantly higher than those without orthodontic treatment(P<0.05). The proportion of parents satisfied with their children's dental condition in the orthodontic group was significantly lower than that in the non-orthodontic group (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Junior middle school students in Ganzhou City have the characteristics of higher prevalence rate of dental and jaw malformations. The correction rate of dental and jaw malformations is significantly different between female and male students, as well as urban and rural students. The lack of cognition of students and their parents, education level of parents and family economic level may affect the demand for orthodontic treatment of dental deformities.

Key words: Ganzhou City, Junior high school students, Teeth and jaw deformity, Parents, Awareness of correction