Effects of Oral Habits on the Occlusion of 5-12 year Old Children in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Oral habits can interfere with regular facial growth and persistence of the habit may result in varying degrees of malocclusion. This study sought to find out the prevalence and effects of oral habits on the occlusion of 5-12 year old children in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Methods: The study was descriptive and cross sectional in nature. A total of 1000 children randomly selected by a multistage sampling technique were interviewed and examined for oral habits and malocclusion. Results: Overall 33% of the sample population reported one or more oral habits. The most common habit was nail biting (41.4%), while the least common was bruxism (2.8%). A statistically significant relationship was observed between the age of the respondents and the thumb/digit sucking habit (p<0.05). The relationship between the thumb/digit sucking habit and crossbite was statistically significant (p<0.05). There was also a statistically significant relationship between overbite and thumb/digit sucking (p<0.05), tongue thrusting (P<0.05), tongue sucking (P<0.05) and anterior resting position of the tongue (P<0.05). Conclusion: The positive relationship between oral habits and malocclusion observed in this study suggests the need for early identification of these habits in children and early intervention. The education of mothers on the deleterious effects of oral habits is suggested as well as regular screening for children who are five years and older.