PREVALENCE OF ORAL HABITS IN CHILDREN AND ITS CORRELATION WITH MALOCCLUSION – A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

D. Priyadarshini; Nancy Solomon; Sharanya Ravindran; Joyson Moses

Volume : VIII, Issue : VI, June - 2019

PREVALENCE OF ORAL HABITS IN CHILDREN AND ITS CORRELATION WITH MALOCCLUSION – A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

D. Priyadarshini, Nancy Solomon, Sharanya Ravindran, Joyson Moses

Abstract :

The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of oral habits and the correlation between the existing deleterious oral habit and the occurrence of malocclusion in school going children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: School going children (n=426) were screened for oral habits and the associated malocclusion present. 124 children (male = 71; female = 53) were found to have either a single habit or a combination of two or more habits. RESULTS: The results of the study shows 29% of prevalence of oral habits in the evaluated population with the highest frequency of thumb sucking (16.9%) and tongue thrusting(16.9%) followed by other oral habits and the most prevalent malocclusion is open bite (94.4%) followed by crossbite (76.6%) . CONCLUSION: Sucking habit, tongue thrusting and mouth eathing were found to be the major risk factor for the occurrence of malocclusion in school going children.