Relationship among oral habits, orofacial function and oral health-related quality of life in children

ABSTRACT

The objective was to evaluate the relationship among oral habits, oral function and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children. Three hundred and twenty-eight subjects (8–14 years old) were assessed for orofacial function using the Brazilian version of the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S). OHRQoL was assessed using the Child Perceptions Questionnaires (Brazilian versions) for the 8–10 (CPQ8-10) and 11–14 (CPQ11-14) year age groups. The subjects were distributed into a Habit group and a Habit-free group according to domain III (Habits) of the NOT-S. Oral habits were present in 71.3% of the sample (p = .0001), with a higher prevalence in females (62.8%, p = .001). The NOT-S, CPQ8-10 and CPQ11-14 scores were higher in the Habit group (P = .0001, P = .009 and p = .001, respectively). Domain I (Sensory Function) was significantly more affected in Habit group subjects (p = .001). The NOT-S scores were positively correlated with the CPQ8-10 and CPQ11-14 scores only in the Habit group (r = .32, p = .0003 and r = .30, p = .001, respectively). These results indicate that oral habits can impact OHRQoL. Moreover, orofacial dysfunctions were associated with worse OHRQoL in subjects with oral habits.