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Background: Family is the space par excellence for the development of human identity and is a person's first socialization group. People have their first experiences, habits, values, and world perceptions, including health, within the family core. Purpose: To analyze oral health status of individuals regarding family functioning. Methods: A descriptive study with 84 persons of 20 families who belonged to the dental office of the Plaza de la Revolution municipality in Havana Cuba was carried out. Patients responded family functioning and oral habits surveys and underwent at-home clinical evaluations (p=0.05, Chi²). Results: Edentulism was predominant (53.57%) mainly among individuals from dysfunctional families. 70.24% had poor oral hygiene; however, most of those with good oral hygiene (88.00%) belonged to functional families. 51.19% only brushed their teeth twice a day, mainly from dysfunctional families. 22.62% of patients reported not consuming sugary foods, most of whom belonged to functional families. 82.05% informed seeing the dentist only when they had an dental emergency, all of them from dysfunctional families. Conclusion: Family functioning showed association with oral health status among the individuals studied. It is advisable to create family-focused preventive oral health programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early correction of class II malocclusions associated to mandibular retrognathism is possible through sustained and continuous mandibular advancement that does not require patient collaboration. Purpose: To describe a case of malocclusion treated with a new fixed mandibular advance arch (FMAA). Case description: FMAA was applied to a 11-year-6-month-old skeletal class-II, division-1 girl with mandibular retrognathism and overbite. Results: After one-year treatment, there were functional and esthetic outcomes. ANB angle was reduced from 6.6° to 5.0°. Effective mandibular length (Co-Gn) increased (96.1 mm to 103.4 mm). Upper incisors inclinations went from 28,0° to 28,4°. Lower incisors experienced slight proinclinations (26.2° to 30.9°). Cephalograms after orthodontic treatment showed stable measures: ANB went from 5.0° to 5,1° and Co-Gn remained stable in 103.4°. Upper incisors had retroinclinations from 28.4° to 22.5° and lower incisors went from 30.9° to 28.2°. Conclusion: FMAA is a treatment alternative for mixed and early permanent dentitions for being a fixed appliance, it allows advancing mandible without requiring patient collaboration and during the necessary time to obtain changes. Because of its simple structure (cemented in the maxilla only to first molars), it advances without being fixed to the mandible every time the patient closes the mouth. In addition, it is easy to make, cement, activate, clean, and keep in mouth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breastfeeding is the best option for infants. It promotes an adequate growth and development of the craniofacial structures as breastfeeding stimulates the orofacial musculature and therefore the functional development of the stomatognathic system. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed. 195 clinical histories of patients with ages between 3 and 16 years attending the postdoctoral pediatric dentistry clinic of the dental School at the University of Santa Maria, Caracas Venezuela, were evaluated. Time data associated with breastfeeding, presence of parafunctional habits, and malocclusions were collected. Results: 29.7% of the children were breastfed <5 months, 62.1% >6 months, and 8.2% were not breastfed. 84.1% had par afunctional habits and 4 1% had som e type of malocclusion. When applying the Chi-square test for each variable, a statistically significant relationship between <5-month breastfeeding and parafunctional habits (p=0.001) was found. However, there was not a statistically significant relationship between the length of breastfeeding and the occurrence of malocclusions (p=0.012). Conclusions: The results indicate the existence of a relationship between a period of <5 months of breastfeeding and the development of parafunctional habits, having the greater risk children who do not receive nursing or did for a short period. However, no significant relationship between breastfeeding and the occurr ence of malocclusions was shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]