title: Oral habits as risk factors for anterior open bite in the deciduous and mixed dentition - cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anterior open bite (AOB) is an occlusal anomaly commonly associated with oral habits (OH). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of OH as a risk factor for the AOB.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of children aged between 3 and 12 years were observed. The statistical methodology included independent chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and binary logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of oral habits was of 43.5% in the deciduous dentition and 54.2% in the mixed dentition. There was a statistically significant association of pacifier sucking: 61.7 and 16.1 odd ratios (OR), and tongue thrust: 3.9 and 9.2 OR with AOB in both groups, respectively. Thumb sucking occurred only in the deciduous dentition with 5.6 OR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OH and AOB have a high frequency in children. They hinder the normal development of dental and skeletal structures. As OH are risk factors for AOB, the damaging habits most frequently associated are: pacifier sucking, thumb sucking, and tongue thrust. Due to the correlation between the prevalence of AOB and OH, prevention strategies incorporating psychological data related to children should be integrated into a national public health programme.
authors: Department of Orthodontics and Oral Facial Genetics, Faculty of Dentistry, Porto University, Portugal. PhD Student.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Urzal
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: Braga
authors: A P
authors: AP
authors: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003818:Dentition, Mixed; D005260:Female; D005386:Fingersucking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024343:Open Bite / Q000209:etiology*; D041361:Pacifiers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014061:Tongue Habits / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous