Non-nutritive sucking habits and their effects on the occlusion in the deciduous dentition in children

Authors

  • GM Lopes Freire Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Barcelona Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona
  • JE Espasa Suarez de Deza Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Barcelona Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona
  • IC Rodrigues da Silva Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Braslia, Braslia
  • L Butini Oliveira Division of Pediatric Dentistry, SLMandic School of Dentistry, Campinas
  • JM Ustrell Torrent Faculty of Dentistry, University of Barcelona Oral Health and Masticatory System Group (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute), IDIBELL L'Hospitalet, Barcelona
  • JR Boj Quesada Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Barcelona Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2016.4.7.301

Keywords:

Child, Finger sucking, Malocclusion, Pacifier

Abstract

AIM: The study evaluated the presence of non-nutritive sucking habits and and their effects on the occlusion in the deciduos dentition in Spanish children. METHODS: Study design: Cross-sectional survey. A clinical examination was performed by an experienced examiner in 275 children aged 3 to 6 years and the collected data included the presence of anterior open bite (vertical dimension), unilateral or bilateral posterior crossbite (transverse dimensions), midline deviation and sagittal relationships between incisors, molars and canines. In addition, the parents of each child completed a questionnaire about oral habits. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (frequency distribution). Statistical significance for the association between the non-nutritive sucking habits and development of malocclusion was determined using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used in order to adjust the results for confounding effects of non-nutritive habits before assessing statistical significance.