Knowledge and Attitudes of Parents about Oral Health in the Primary Dentition Stage in a Peruvian High Andean City.

Children's oral health depends on parents' knowledge and attitudes. The primary dentition stage, in particular, plays a crucial role in the comprehensive development of children. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate parents' knowledge and attitudes about oral health in the primary dentition stage in Chachapoyas (Amazonas, NW Peru). A questionnaire was administered to 409 parents from 15 educational institutions, and the data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Among the surveyed parents, 75.3% could identify at least one habit harmful to their children's teeth (such as excessive sugar consumption) and one of its effects (such as dental caries). Additionally, 77.5% reported that their children presented some dental problem, more frequent in the peripheral areas than in the city's center. Gender (odd ratio, OR = 0.484; p = 0.037), educational level (OR = 2.144; p = 0.043), and type of health insurance (OR = 2.627; p = 0.044) of the parents influenced awareness of taking care of their children's primary dental health. The geographic location of the school (1.729 < OR < 2.079; p ≤ 0.011) and family income (OR = 3.504; p = 0.028) influenced parents' identification of the different harmful effects of children's habits. Factors such as low socioeconomic status and never taking the child to the dentist increased the risk of dental problems (p < 0.05). It is suggested that peripheral areas, like rural areas, lack the same oral health programs and access to treatment as central urban areas, leading to disparities in parental knowledge and attitudes.

Factors Associated to Apical Root Resorption after Orthodontic Treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the possible factors associated to root resorption, common to daily clinical orthodontics, especially parafunctional habits. METHODS: A retrospective study of 600 patients (308 females and 292 males) previously treated orthodontically was conducted. The sample was divided into two groups related to the degree of root resorption at the ending of treatment according to Malmgren. Group 1 comprised 507 patients with a mean initial age of 14.21 years and who had absent or mild final external root resorption, characterized by grades 0, 1 and 2 of root resorption; Group 2 comprised 93 patients with initial mean age of 14.57 years and who had moderate or severe root resorption, characterized by grade 3 and 4. The groups were then compared in terms of age at the beginning and ending of the treatment, treatment time, gender, type of treatment (with and without extractions), parafunctional habits (bruxism, onychophagia, the habit of biting objects, tongue thrusting habit and thumb sucking habit), allergies and pretreatment root resorption. RESULTS: The results show that the initial age, gender, type of malocclusion, parafunctional habits and allergies do not represent a statistically significant risk of root resorption. CONCLUSION: Treatment time and type (with and without extractions) and the presence of external root resorption at the beginning of the treatment showed significant differences.

Parafunctional oral habits and itsrelationship with family structure in a Mexican preschoolers group, 2013 / Hábitos orales parafuncionales y su relación con la estructura familiar en un grupo de preescolares mexicanos, 2013

Introduction. Habit is any act acquired through experience and performed regularly and unconsciously. Parafunctional habits are resulting from the perversion of a normal function, acquired by repeated practice of an act that is not functional or necessary, may be signs of adjustment problems or inappropriate emotional expression. Its importance lies in the fact that they can interfere with the development of dental occlusion. Objective. To evaluate the prevalence of parafunctional oral habits and their possible association with the type of family, in a group of preschool children from eastern Mexico City. Methodology. Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carrying on. Preschool children group and their parents were surveyed before an examiner calibration (k =0.87, p=0.001). The detection of different parafunctional habits was conducted in two stages: 1) application of a parent questionnaire and 2) clinical assessment of the child. Results and discussion. 57.7 percent of the studied population had at least one parafunctional oral habit. Onycophagia habit was the most prevalent. The relationship between prevalence of parafunctional habits with family type was significant (X2=87.439, p=0.0001). Conclusions. The prevalence of parafunctional habits was high which was associated with family type also the most frequent parafunctional habit onycophagia.

Introducción. Un hábito es cualquier acto adquirido mediante la experiencia y realizado regular e inconscientemente. Los hábitos bucales parafuncionales son los que resultan de la alteración de una función normal, o los que se adquieren por la práctica repetida de un acto que no es funcional ni necesario, pudiendo ser signos de problemas de adaptación o de expresión emocional inadecuada. Su importancia radica en el hecho de que pueden interferir con el desarrollo de la oclusión dental, razón por la cual el objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la prevalencia de hábitos bucales parafuncionales y su posible relación con la estructura familiar, en un grupo de preescolares de un Centro de Desarrollo Infantil del oriente de la Ciudad de México. Metodología. El estudio fue de carácter observacional, descriptivo y transversal, en el que 111 preescolares y sus padres fueron encuestados previa calibración de una examinadora (k=0.87, p=0.001). La detección de los diferentes hábitos bucales parafuncionales se realizó en dos etapas: 1) aplicación de un cuestionario al padre de familia y 2) valoración clínica del niño. Resultados y discusión. El 57.7 por ciento de la población estudiada presentó, al menos un hábito bucal parafuncional. La onicofagia fue el hábito de mayor prevalencia. La relación entre la prevalencia de hábitos parafuncionales con la estructura familiar resultó ser significativa (X2=87.439, p=0.0001). Conclusiones. La prevalencia de hábitos bucales parafuncionales fue alta la cual estuvo relacionada con la estructura familiar, asimismo, el hábito parafuncional más frecuente fue la onicofagia.

Beneficios de la Implementación de Ortodoncia Interceptiva en la Clínica Infantil / Benefits of the Implementation of Interceptive Orthodontic in Pediatric Dental Clinic

El objetivo fue determinar el beneficio de implementar acciones clínicas de ortodoncia interceptiva en paciente infantiles analizando la literatura reciente. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura mediante una búsqueda en Pubmed, SciELO y Cochrane Library de los últimos 10 años respondiendo a la pregunta: "¿En niños con maloclusiones dentoalveolares es beneficiosa la implementación de ortodoncia interceptiva o es mejor una terapia al término del crecimiento?". Las palabras de búsqueda fueron "orthodontic interceptive", "serial extraction" o sus traducciones en español. Se utilizaron criterios de inclusión y exclusión para obtener evidencia del más alto nivel. Se seleccionaron 17 artículos de los cuales, cinco fueron ensayos clínicos, seis de cohorte retrospectiva, cuatro revisiones sistemáticas y un caso clínico de larga data. La mayoría de los reportes utilizan los índices de maloclusión ICON y PAR para realizar las mediciones pre y post-tratamiento y evaluar efectividad del uso de la ortodoncia interceptiva. La extracción de caninos temporales por si sola no previene la impactación de caninos permanentes. La extracción seriada tuvo un tiempo de control sin aparatos más largo, pero menor periodo de tratamiento activo y se indica en pacientes con más de 6 mm de discrepancia negativa dentomaxilar. La mayoría de los estudios muestra un alto nivel de evidencia (53%), pero presentan diferencias en las variables estudiadas y en las modalidades de tratamientos que no los hacen comparables entre ellos. Hay evidencia de que la intervención temprana en niños con maloclusiones dentoalveolares es beneficiosa, mejoran resalte y la alineación anterior maxilar y mandibular. La discrepancia dentomaxilar severa es factible de tratar con extracción seriada. La evidencia es escasa para mordida abierta y malos hábitos. El tratamiento interceptivo requiere largo seguimiento y no elimina la necesidad de tratamiento correctivo. No existe evidencia de que la resolución interceptiva de la mordida cruzada sea positiva.

The aim was to determine the benefit of implementing interceptive orthodontic clinics in infant patient analyzing recent literature about it. We conducted a systematic review of the literature by searching PubMed, SciELO and Cochrane Library for the past 10 years in response to the question: "In children with dentoalveolar malocclusions is it beneficial to implement interceptive orthodontics or is it better to apply a therapy at the end of growth?" Searching words were "interceptive orthodontic", "serial extraction" or its translations in Spanish. We used inclusion and exclusion criteria to find the highest-level evidence. We selected 17 items of which five were clinical trials, six were retrospective cohort, and four were systematic reviews and one clinical case of long standing. Most reports use ICON and PAR index malocclusion for pre and post-treatment and to evaluate the effectiveness of using interceptive orthodontics. Cuspid extraction alone does not prevent permanent canine impaction. The control of serial extraction without braces was longer than with braces, but the active treatment period was shorter. This process is indicated in patients with more than 6 mm dentomaxilar negative discrepancy. Most studies show a high level of evidence (53%), but they differ in some variables and some treatments modalities, which do not make them comparable. There is evidence that early intervention in children with dentoalveolar malocclusions is beneficial, improving over-jet and alignment of anterior maxillary and mandibular. It is feasible to treat severe dentomaxilar discrepancy with serial extraction. The evidence is insufficient to open bite and bad habits. Interceptive treatment requires lengthy follow up and does not eliminate the need for corrective treatment. There is no evidence that the resolution interceptive crossbite is positive.

Influence of the respiratory mode and nonnutritive sucking habits in the palate dimensions

Aim: To verify the influence of the respiratory mode and nonnutritive sucking habits in the transverse and vertical dimensions of the palate. Methods: Seventy-seven children aged 7 to 12 years, were divided, according the diagnosis of the respiratory mode and the presence of prolonged nonnutritive sucking habits. Models of the upper dental arc were obtained of all children for evaluation of the measures of the palate in the region of the canines, first and second premolars and first molars. These measures were analyzed by the Student’s t-test and Analysis of Variance. Tukey’s test was used for the multiple comparisons. The significance level was set at p<0.05. Results: It was verified that the mouth-breathing children showed smaller width and higher depth at the more posterior region of the palate. The children with prolonged nonnutritive sucking habits presented narrower and deeper palate at the anterior region of the palate. The canine distance was smaller in children who present mouth breathing associated to nonnutritive sucking habits and the depth at the second premolar was higher in mouth-breathers associated or not to prolonged nonnutritive sucking habits. Conclusions: The results suggest that the respiratory mode and prolonged nonnutritive sucking habits influence in the transverse and vertical palate dimensions in the children evaluated in this study.