Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Apr;19(2):161-8.
doi: 10.1590/s1678-77572011000200013.

Breastfeeding and non-nutritive sucking patterns related to the prevalence of anterior open bite in primary dentition

Camila Campos Romero  1 , Helio Scavone-Junior, Daniela Gamba Garib, Flávio Augusto Cotrim-Ferreira, Rívea Inês Ferreira
Affiliations

Breastfeeding and non-nutritive sucking patterns related to the prevalence of anterior open bite in primary dentition

Camila Campos Romero et al. J Appl Oral Sci. 2011 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Nutritional, immunological and psychological benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life are unequivocally recognized. However, mothers should also be aware of the importance of breastfeeding for promoting adequate oral development. This study evaluated the association between breastfeeding and non-nutritive sucking patterns and the prevalence of anterior open bite in primary dentition.

Material and methods: Infant feeding and non-nutritive sucking were investigated in a 3-6 year-old sample of 1,377 children, from São Paulo city, Brazil. Children were grouped according to breastfeeding duration: G1--non-breastfed, G2--shorter than 6 months, G3--interruption between 6 and 12 months, and G4--longer than 12 months. Three calibrated dentists performed clinical examinations and classified overbite into 3 categories: normal, anterior open bite and deep bite. Chi-square tests (p<0.05) with odds ratio (OR) calculation were used for intergroup comparisons. The impact of breastfeeding and non-nutritive sucking on the prevalence of anterior open bite was analyzed using binary logistic regression.

Results: The prevalence estimates of anterior open bite were: 31.9% (G1), 26.1% (G2), 22.1% (G3), and 6.2% (G4). G1 would have significantly more chances of having anterior open bite compared with G4; in the total sample (OR=7.1) and in the subgroup without history of non-nutritive sucking (OR=9.3). Prolonging breastfeeding for 12 months was associated with a 3.7 times lower chance of having anterior open bite. In each year of persistence with non-nutritive sucking habits, the chance of developing this malocclusion increased in 2.38 times.

Conclusions: Breastfeeding and non-nutritive sucking durations demonstrated opposite effects on the prediction of anterior open bite. Non-breastfed children presented significantly greater chances of having anterior open bite compared with those who were breastfed for periods longer than 12 months, demonstrating the beneficial influence of breastfeeding on dental occlusion.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relationship between breastfeeding duration and the probability of having anterior open bite (derived from the logistic regression model shown in Table 3)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between non-nutritive sucking duration and the probability of having anterior open bite (derived from the logistic regression model shown in Table 6)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adair SM, Milano M, Lorenzo I, Russel C. Effects of current and former pacifier use on the dentition of 24- to 59-month-old children. Pediatr Dent. 1995;17:437–444. - PubMed
    1. Bishara SE, Warren JJ, Broffitt B, Levy SM. Changes in the prevalence of nonnutritive sucking patterns in the first 8 years of life. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2006;130:31–36. - PubMed
    1. Degano MP, Degano RA. Breastfeeding and oral health. A primer for the dental practitioner. N Y State Dent J. 1993;59:30–32. - PubMed
    1. Foster TD, Hamilton MC. Occlusion in the primary dentition. Study of children at 2 and one-half to 3 years of age. Br Dent J. 1969;126:76–79. - PubMed
    1. Ganesh M, Tandon S, Sajida B. Prolonged feeding practice and its effects on developing dentition. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2005;23:141–145. - PubMed