title: Effects of current and former pacifier use on the dentition of 24- to 59-month-old children.
abstract: Two hundred eighteen children ages 24-59 months participated in a study to examine the effect of pacifier use on the occlusion of the primary dentition. A questionnaire was used to gain information on habit history. Eighty-two children were current or former users of functional exercisers, 38 had a history of conventional pacifier use, and 98 had no history of oral habits. Compared to children with no habit, those with a history of pacifier use had a significantly larger mean overjet (P < 0.001), as well as significantly higher occurrences of Class II primary canines (P = 0.015), distal step molars (P = 0.014), openbite (P = 0.001), and posterior crossbite (P = 0.025). Compared to users of conventional pacifiers, users of functional exercisers had a significantly higher occurrence of Class II primary canines (P = 0.013) and distal step molars (P = 0.037). Pacifier use time in months was significantly higher for children with openbite (P = 0.02) and posterior crossbite (P = 0.019). Compared to former pacifier users, those with current habits had a significantly higher prevalence of openbite (P = 0.002) and posterior crossbite (P = 0.001), and a greater mean openbite (P = 0.19). The reported number of hours use per day was not related to any aspect of the occlusion of pacifier users. African-American and European-American children began their habits at about the same age and used their pacifiers for an equivalent number of hours per day. Among those who had discontinued their habits, African-American children had maintained theirs for a significantly shorter period (P < 0.001), leading to a longer elapsed time between habit discontinuation and the examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milano
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044383:Black People; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000473:pathology; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000473:pathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American