The prevalence of anterior open bite in Portuguese children during deciduous and mixed dentition--correlations for a prevention strategy.

Introduction: Anterior open bite (AOB) is a vertical malocclusion that requires thorough diagnosis to ensure long-term stability. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of AOB in Portuguese children during deciduous and mixed dentition in order to assess the need for orthodontic treatment and to determine its relation to other associated features.
Material and Methods: A group of 1264 children aged between 3 and 12 from Porto in Portugal were observed. The statistical methodology included the independent Chi(2) test, Fisher's exact test and binary logistic regression.
Results: The prevalence of AOB was 16.9% with 95% CI (11.9%, 24.5%) for primary dentition and 11.3% with 95% CI (8.4%, 15.1%) for mixed dentition. Pacifier sucking, thumb sucking, tongue thrust and oral breathing are major risk factors for AOB in primary dentition, ranked in descending order. In mixed dentition, the factors are ranked as follows: pacifier sucking, lip sucking, tongue thrust and oral breathing.
Conclusion: Due to the close connection between the prevalence of AOB and dysfunctional problems, prevention strategies should be integrated into a national public health program. The habits mentioned above should be eliminated early by using the appropriate protocols in order to reduce the risk factors of malocclusion.
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