Prevalence of Oral Habits of Schoolchildren in the Mixed Dentition in Dharan, Nepal.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of oral habits in the mixed dentition of schoolchildren in Dharan, Nepal and compare this prevalence between sexes, races, and age.<br/>

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 830 schoolchildren of 10 randomly selected schools in Dharan. The presence or absence of oral habits was determined using a structured questionnaire, and an oral examination of the children was carried out under natural light. A chi-square test was used to compare the association of oral habits with age, sex and race.<br/>

Results

The most prevalent oral habit was tongue thrusting (39.6 percent), while the habit of biting objects was the least prevalent (0.8 percent). Mouth-breathing was statistically significant for sex (P = 0.010), whereas biting objects (P = 0.035) and self-inflicting habits (P = 0.005) were statistically significant for race. Lip sucking (P ≤0.001) and lip-biting habits (P = 0.001) were statistically significant for age.<br/>

Conclusion

These findings highlight the importance of periodic screenings and timely referral for the early detection of oral habits and its associated effect on the developing occlusion.