EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DELETERIOUS ORAL HABITS IN PATIENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AT A SCHOOL CLINIC

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this research was to verify the prevalence of deleterious oral habits in patients with special needs seen at a clinical school of dentistry. Study design: Retrospective, observational, and quantitative study, in which 59 medical records of patients with special needs seen in a dentistry clinical school in the years 2016 and 2017 were analyzed, after approval by the research ethics committee. The data collection was carried out by a secondary data form in order to gather the necessary information to accomplish the research. Results: Of the total sample, 54.2% had some deleterious oral habit. Of these, 43.75% reported performing more than 1 habit. The practice of onychophagy was the most frequent, reported in 59.4%, followed by the habit of biting objects, present in 31.3%. Suction of the lip, tongue, and cheek was reported by 18.8% of those who had a deleterious oral habit. Conclusion: The intellectual and motor deficits, together with the low level of understanding about deleterious oral habits, made these habits widely present in the daily life of patients with special needs.