Malocclusion and Deleterious Oral Habits in Vietnamese Children Between the Ages of 8 and 12 years: A Cross Sectional Study

Aim: This study aimed to determine the relationship between malocclusion and deleterious oral habits in the Vietnamese children aged 8-12 years.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive analysis was undertaken on a total of 434 children (8-12 years old, 208 males and 226 females), separated into five age groups: 8 years old (16.8%), 9 years old (18.5%), 10 years old (20.7%), 11 years old (21.4%), and 12 years old (22.6%), with all four first permanent molars erupted, no previous orthodontic treatment, loss of the second primary molar or presence of the second primary molar root or decay, loss of surface material on the second primary molar, and underfilling of the second primary molar size in the mesiodistal direction. The deleterious oral habits and malocclusion were assessed through a clinical examination and questionnaires for parents. The descriptive statistical analysis revealed the following findings: mean and standard deviation. The chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare categorical variables. The data were considered significant at P < 0.05.

Result: Deleterious oral habits were found to have a significant relationship with malocclusion. Mouth breathing habits were associated with anterior open bites (P < 0.05). The tongue thrusting habit was associated with anterior open bite (P < 0.05), posterior crossbite (P < 0.01), overbite greater than 4 mm (P < 0.01), and angle class I malocclusion (P < 0.05). Chewing habits on one side were associated with posterior crossbite (P < 0.01) and posterior open bite (P < 0.05). The habit of pen/pencil/nail biting was associated with midline deviation (P < 0.05). As children got older, there was a greater need for orthodontic treatment for dental healthcare, according to the index of orthodontic treatment need. In the 8-year-old patient group, the need was 4.1%; in the 9-year-old patient group, it was 5%; in the 10-year-old patient group, it was 9%; in the 11-year-old patient group, it was 19.4%; and in the 12-year-old patient group, it was 22.4%. The distribution of orthodontic treatment needs for dental health was significantly different based on the number of deleterious oral habits children had (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Abnormal oral habits were prevalent in about 30.6% of the study participants. Mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, pen/pencil/nail biting, and one-side chewing had a significant impact on malocclusion.