Deforming buccal habits and dental malocclusions in children aged 5-11 years

Abstract

Introduction: buccal habits may alter the stomatognathic system normal development; provoke disequilibrium among the muscular forces and cause deformation.  These habits modify teeth position, the relation and form the dental arches keep between them, interfering in the normal grow and function of the buccal-facial muscles. The purpose of this term is identifying children affected by non-nutritive habits practices and their relation with dental malocclusion presence.   
Method: we carried out a cross sectional descriptive research in children aged 5-11 years, assisting to primary schools located in the health area of the Milanes policlinic, in Matanzas. The universe was formed by 2 300 children from which we selected an age-stratified, non-randomized sample of 506 male and female students assisting to Jose A. Echeverría and Manuel Ascunce Domenech primary schools, 2005-2006 school years, treated at the Teaching Stomatologic Clinic “III Congreso del PCC”. We identified the following habits: buccal breathing, digital suction and atypical swallowing, and we determined their relation with dental malocclusions.
Results: 58,7 % of the children practiced deforming buccal habits. Atypical swallowing showed the highest prevalence (25,3 %), followed by buccal breathing (19, 4 %) and digital suction (14,0 %).  Class II, division 1 malocclusions predominated in the children identified with deforming habits, and their values were: 34,7 %. 39,4 % and 32 % in those practicing buccal breathing, digital suction and atypical swallowing, in that order. There it was a progressive habit decrease proportional to age increase. 
Conclusions: most of the children identified with buccal deforming habits were related with the presence of dental malocclusions. In them, the anomalies increased with age. Class II, division 1 malocclusions prevailed over the rest of the studied clinical entities. This fact warns us about the necessity of preventing these harmful practices in early ages, and demanding the fulfillment of the dental-facial anomalies prevention and interception program at the primary health care level.