Oral Habits Effect on Orofacial Dysfunction and Oral Health Related Quality of Life.

Effect of Oral Habits on Orofacial Dysfunction and Oral Health Related Quality of Life Among a Group of Egyptian Children: Cohort Study

The aim of the present study is to determine the effect of oral habits on orofacial dysfunction and oral health related quality of life among a group of Egyptian children.

Child's OHRQoL is assessed in terms of four main categories: oral symptoms as pain and discomfort, functional limitations as reduced masticatory efficiency due to malocclusion, emotional limitations as reduced self-esteem and social limitations as being teased by other children.

Deleterious Oral Habit is believed to be associated with emotional disturbances and orofacial dysfunction which will certainly affect child's OHRQoL.

Sucking habits, mouth breathing habits and tongue thrusting habits are found to be the most deleterious habits, especially in the selected age group of (5-7) years. It was found that these three deleterious habits are the most practiced habits among Egyptian children aging from 6-9 years (19.6%).

Up to the investigator's knowledge, there are very scanty studies investigating the effect of orofacial dysfunction on OHRQoL in children, only one of them was conducted on children practicing oral habits, but none of them was conducted on Egyptian children.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Cooperative Egyptian children aging from (5 - 7) years.
• Medically free children.
• Children whose families accept to participate in this study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children with untreated caries.
• Children with previous untreated dental trauma.
• Children with previous orthodontic treatment
• Children with upper respiratory disease
• Children having one or more of the following conditions: MIH, amelogenesis imperfecta, dentinogenesis imperfecta, hypodontia, dental fluorosis.