Purpose
assess the prevalence of anterior open bite and its association with harmful habits in children from three to five years-old.
Methods
this is a retrospective longitudinal done between July and November, 2010. Anterior open bite was diagnosed at the time of the research and introduction and duration of the habits was declared by parents using a questionnaire. Sample calculus resulted in 920 children. Schools’ selection was randomized. Data was collected using a questionnaire and a clinical exam with trained examiners (Kappa 0.86).The association between variables was verified by Chi-square and Fisher exact Test. Odds Ratio was used to assess the strength of the association.
Results
Open bite prevalence was 20%.Children with finger sucking habit had 3 times the chance of having anterior and for those that used pacifier the risk was five times higher.
Conclusion
the prevalence of open bite was expressive. Non nutritive sucking habits were associated with malocclusion prevalence. The importance of preventive strategies to improve consciousness related to the correct use of oral habits must be remembered.
Open Bite; Malocclusion; Habits