Temporomandibular disorders and quality of life among 12-year-old schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), quality of life, and malocclusion. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational design study was utilized among 248 schoolchildren aged 12 years old. Symptoms of TMD were assessed using the Orofacial Pain and Temporomandibular Disorders Triage Questionnaire, and subjects were further evaluated as oral-health-related quality of life (CPQ11-14), tooth clenching/grinding and malocclusion (Dental Aesthetic Index). Chi-square for independence, Odds Ratio and Mann-Whitney test were used (p = 0.05) statistically. RESULTS: Statistically, association was detected between TMD symptoms with pain and worse quality of life (p < 0.0138), and pain with quality of life and clenching/grinding (p = 0.0120 and 0.0007). DISCUSSION: The symptoms of TMD are associated with pain and teeth clenching, causing a negative impact on schoolchildren's quality of life; thus, a study of the TMD impact on quality of life is justified.

Prevalence of pacifier-sucking habits and successful methods to eliminate them--a preliminary study.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to verify the prevalence of nutritive (breast-feeding and bottle-feeding) and non-nutritive (pacifier) sucking habits, the methods used to eliminate them, and success of these methods. METHODS: To collect the data, 502 questionnaires were distributed to parents of 0- to 6-year-old children. RESULTS: Bottle-feeding was used by 83% and pacifier by 63% of children. The professional's explanation, the use of substances on the pacifier, the abrupt interruption of the habit, and parents' explanations were efficient in 90%, 80%, 64%, and 38% of the cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sucking habits had a high prevalence in this sample. An indirect linear relationship between breast-feeding and pacifier use demonstrated that the more the child was breast-fed, the less the pacifier was used. The most efficient method to end the pacifier-sucking habit was professional explanation; however, it was used less often.

Prevalência de má oclusão em pré-escolares de Piracicaba - SP / Malocclusion prevalence in Brazilian preschoolers from Piracicaba - SP

Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar clinicamente as relações morfológicas oclusais de crianças com idade entre três anos e seis meses a seis anos e 11 meses, freqüentadoras de creches municipais da cidade de Piracicaba-SP. Foram analisadas as relações ântero-posteriores e transversais dos arcos dentais decíduos que foram classificados de acordo com a morfologia presente em: Relação dos incisivos - sentido vertical: (mordida aberta anterior, Sobremordida (overbite), Normal - incisivo superior cobrindo até um terço do incisivo inferior); Relação dos incisivos - sentido horizontal: (mordida cruzada, Sobressaliência (Overjet), Normal - incisivo superior cobrindo até um terço do incisivo inferior, por vestibular); Relação ântero-posterior de caninos decíduos: (classe I - canino superior ocluindo no espaço entre o canino e o primeiro molar inferior; Classe II - canino superior ocluindo anteriormente ao espaço entre o canino e o primeiro molar inferior; Classe III - canino superior ocluindo posteriormente ao espaço entre o canino e o primeiro molar inferior); Relação terminal dos segundos molares decíduos: Degrau mesial, Degrau distal, Plano Vertical. As crianças foram examinadas por um CD (GPN), pela então acadêmica (CAS) e pela fonoaudióloga (VVD) para a análise da oclusão. A análise foi realizada através de estatística descritiva observando-se as variáveis em análise: alterações oclusais. Pelos resultados concluiu-se que houve alta prevalência de má oclusão na amostra (71,6 por cento), encontrando-se a mais alta incidência para a mordida aberta anterior associada à mordida cruzada lateral posterior