Thumb Sucking Research Articles

Incidence and Socioeconomic Impact of Intestinal Parasitic Infections among School Going Children of Private and Public Sectors Schools

Background: Parasitic infection is one of the most common infections in school age children because of poor quality of water, deprived sanitation system and lack of enough health care facilities in underdeveloped countries. Parasitic infections lead to anemia, growth retardation, weight loss, and other physical and mental health problems in children. Current study is designed to evaluate frequency of different intestinal parasitic infections and possible associated risk factors among school students in of District Buner Pakistan. Material and method: This Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Riaz Clinical Laboratory District Buner. All asymptomatic school going children between 5 to 15 years’ age of both genders were included in the study. Those students who had present with symptoms of gastrointestinal infection were excluded from the study. A total of 440 samples were collected from different public and private school’s children. Out of total 240 samples were collected from public sector schools and 200 samples from private sector school’s children. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to gather data on socio-demographic and associated risk factors. The adequate stool specimens were collected in sterile, screw caped disposable plastic container. All samples were examined under microscope using a direct wet mount and formal ether concentration technique. Data was analyzed through SPSS-22 and presented in the form of tables, Pie chart and bar graphs. Results: Out of 440 samples, 23.63% (104/440) were positive for an ova and cysts of different parasites. The parasite positivity ratio is greater in public sector school children (30%) compare to private sector school children (16%). Taenia saginata were most common parasite (8.4%) in school age children followed by Hymenolepis nana (5.68%), Ascaris lumbricoides (5.45%), Enterobius vermicularis 1.13%, and Strongyloides stecoralis (0.68%) were least common parasite in District Buner, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa. Conclusion: Major contributor for the high prevalence of parasitic infections in public school children were found to be poor personal and environmental hygiene, lack of proper sanitation, contaminated food and water supply, personal habits of the children like nail biting and finger sucking, illiterate mother and low socio-economic status of the individuals. Keywords: Intestinal parasites, Worm infestation, School going children, Socioeconomic impact

The Perception of Child Abuse and Neglect by Those Who Work with Children

The present cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the perception of child maltreatment, knowledge of its predictors, and the ability to identify indicators of abuse and neglect by a sample of professionals working with children in Baghdad. The study group consisted of 90 doctors working in primary health care centers, 75 primary school teachers and 35 kindergartners. Total of 200 interviewees 90were present at the time of the interview, with a response rate of 84.4%. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used as the study instrument and the professionals were requested to complete this questionnaire. It consisted of demographic and professional data about participants and questions about their perception and recognition of child abuse and neglect. The study was carried out during the period from 15th of January through May 31st 2019, and was conducted in nineteen primary health care centers as well as eight primary schools and four kindergartens in Baghdad, which were all selected by the Simple Random Technique. The results show that primary health care doctors had a significantly higher perception with the highest being for ″severe beating that leaves marks″. 57.8% for abuse situations and ″inattention to child’s cleanliness". 84.4% for neglect situations. They showed greater capability of identifying indicators of child maltreatment, with the highest being for "stuttering″ and "thumb sucking″ 90% for both and the "child is very shy″ which is recognized by more than 80% for the three study groups. Only one factor as a predictor of child maltreatment was recognized by more than 80% of the three study groups which is ″marital and family problems″. The present study may reflect a weakness in the area of child mental health care by professionals working with children which calls for the introduction of mental health training programs to professional working with children.

Predicting the sagittal skeletal pattern using dental cast and facial profile photographs in children aged 9 to 14 years.

To quantify prediction of sagittal skeletal pattern using anteroposterior dental relationships on dental casts and facial profile photograph. The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from December 2016 to July 2017, and comprised orthodontic patients of either gender aged 9-14 years who attended the outpatient dental clinic. The sagittal skeletal relationship assessed on cephalometric radiographs was compared with anteroposterior dental and facial measurements on their dental cast and facial profile photographs. A prediction model was developed using multiple linear regression. The applicability of the prediction model was checked on an independent sample. Data was analysed using STATA 12. Of the 76 patients, about two-third (n=47) were females. The overall median age was 12.3 years (inter-quartile range: 1.8), with majority (60.5%) aged 12-14 years. The proportion of Class I, II and III malocclusion was 25 (32.9%), 50 (65.8%) and 1 (1.3%) respectively. Highest percentage of variability 47.4% in ANB angle was determined by the soft tissue ANB angle. 54.9% of the variability in the ANB angle could be explained by overjet, soft tissue ANB' angle, lower lip to E-line distance, Class II incisor relationship, history of malocclusion and thumb sucking, interaction terms between Class II incisor relationship and history of malocclusion, and history of thumb sucking and soft tissue ANB' angle. Sagittal skeletal relationship in an individual can be predicted with moderate accuracy using the prediction equation incorporating dental and facial variables along with history of malocclusion and thumb-sucking without potentially harmful exposure to cephalometric radiographs.

Knowledge and practice towards early orthodontic problems among general dentists and paediatric dentists.

To assess the knowledge, practice and challenges faced by general dental practitioners (GDPs), paediatric dentists (PDs) and postgraduate paediatric dentistry students (PGPDSs) in diagnosing and managing early orthodontic problems. Cross-sectional study. A total of 159 dentists were enrolled in this study (121 GDPs, 21 PDs and 17 PGPDSs). Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire involving two sections. Section A included questions regarding demographic features and orthodontic practice. Section B included photos of 12 orthodontic cases that needed early intervention. Knowledge and practice were assessed using six questions for each case that was then rated using predefined scores of poor (score <50%), average (score 50%-75%) and good (score >75%). The knowledge scores regarding the identification of early orthodontic problems were average among the three groups with GDPs having the lowest score (P = 0.0001). The knowledge scores regarding the selection of optimal treatment time were average among the PDs and PGPDSs, and poor among GDPs. GDPs tended to refer most of their cases to an orthodontist except for cases of thumb sucking. PDs and PGPDSs were more confident in treating anterior crossbite, thumb sucking habits and delayed eruption of incisors. All participants scored 'poor' regarding the selection of an appropriate orthodontic appliance. There was no significant correlation between knowledge and practice (P > 0.05). PDs and PGPDSs showed higher knowledge and practice scores when compared to GDPs. For all three groups included in this study, lack of clinical skills was the main reason for not treating early orthodontic problems.

Assessment of Dental Arch Parameters in Turkish Twins.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to variations in dental dimensions in a sample of Turkish twins, and to estimate heritability using dental casts. The study samples were selected from the twin children between 3-15 years old who referred for their first dental examination. Fifty nine monozygotic and one hundred and forty three dizygotic twin pairs were examined in the study. The alginate impression material used to create the plaster model of maxilla and mandible. Anterior arch width, posterior arch width, arch length and arch circumference were measured on models prepared from measurements taken for both maxilla and mandible with digital caliper. The similarities and differences of the measurements were compared between pairs of twins and zygocytes. Morever, the effects of bad oral habits, bruxism, a result of psychosocial factors on measurements were examined. Statistical analysis was performed using Paired T Test, Wilcoxon Test and Mann Whitney U test. A total of 404 dental models of 118 (29.2%) monozygotic and 286 (70.8%) dizygotic twins were evaluated. There was no statistical difference between sibling pairs in both monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The measurement similarity between twin siblings differed according to zygosity in all measurements (p<0.05). It has been observed that the finger sucking and mouth breathing affect the dental arch measurements (p<0.05). These results indicate that the differences in dental arch dimensions between monozygotic twin pairs are less than the difference between dizygotic twin pairs.

Sign and Symptom of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders and Associated Parafuncion Habits in Young Adults

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint diseases and parafunctional habits contributing to TMD. Method: Using a structured proforma and questionnaire data was collected from 162 subjects to determine signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint diseases and associated parafunctional habits contributing to TMD. Results: The results showed that most frequent reporting sign was painful TMJ(61.4% females)and (56.96% males)while least frequent sign was deviation of mandibular movement representing(24.09% and 26.58%) neck stiffness(26.0%and 22.7%)and mandibular deviation(24.09%and 26.58%).clicking and clenching was reported to be 49.39% and 42.16% in females and 39.24%and 40.50% in males respectively. The percentage distribution of headache was noted to be 42.16% in females and 40.50% in males. while 60.24% females and 44.30% males reported themselves to be stressed or tense. Painful muscles were however reported by 33.73% females and 27.84% males. Lip and cheek biting /chewing gums was the most common parafunctional habit(41.97%)with females significantly more than males, followed by nail biting and bruxism(15.43% and 14.19%).Thumb sucking was found to be present in 4.9% of individuals. However 23.45% reported themselves to be free of any habit. Conclusion: The study has shown that TMD remains largely undiagnosed in our general population and it can be related very well with anxiety, headache and bad lifestyle habits. Keywords: Temporomandibualr joint disorder(TMD), Sign and Symptoms, Parafunction

Thumb-Sucking Habits and Oral Health: An Analysis of YouTube Content.

This study aims to investigate the content and usefulness of YouTube videos on** thumb-sucking habits. Methods: YouTube was systematically searched for all relevant videos on thumb sucking using primary keywords, such as thumb, finger, and digit sucking. Video information was assessed, such as the type of video, number of likes or dislikes, number of views, and duration of upload. The usefulness of videos was analyzed, and information about treatment modalities was evaluated. Results: A total of 331 YouTube videos (314 educational offerings and 17 testimonials) were included in the analysis. Individual users uploaded (36.6%), followed by healthcare professionals (30.5%). Only 4.83% of the videos were classified as having “very useful” general information content, whereas 51.1% were rated as “slightly useful.” There was no significant correlation between the usefulness score and the interaction rate, video length, or viewing rate. The videos advised a psychosocial approach and mechanical or reminder therapy in 32.33% and 25.07% of videos, respectively. Preventive methods accounted for 7.26%, and chemical treatments were discussed in 5.44% of the videos. Conclusion: Information on YouTube about thumb-sucking habits was unsatisfactory and should be improved by oral healthcare professionals and organizations.

Adjustable tongue crib.

Thumb sucking and tongue thrusting habits are mostly counteracted and rehabilitated using a tongue crib. Most patients find the conventional crib difficult (due to its position and length) in the initial days of treatment and become uncooperative. Hence, few modifications are made to the traditional design of the tongue crib for easy adjustment of the crib height and angulation, which provides comfort to the patient.

Morphological and functional abnormalities of the orofacial sphere associated with thumb sucking in children aged 3 to 10 years old in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Introductionthumb sucking is one of the most common oral habits in infants and children. In our context, little is known about the effects of prolonged thumb sucking on the orofacial sphere. Objective: determine the prevalence of thumb sucking and, identify the morphologic and functional abnormalities of the orofacial sphere associated with the duration and frequency of thumb sucking in children aged 3 to 10 years.Methodsa cross-sectional and analytical study was carried out in the pediatric units of the District Hospitals of Biyem-assi and Efoulan from February to June 2020 in children aged 3 to 10 years. Recruitment was consecutive, not probabilistic. After obtaining informed parental consent, a clinical examination was performed and the criteria retained were based on the ANGLE classification of the malocclusions. Socio-demographic, socio-economic, clinical characteristics were collected and morphological and functional abnormalities were observed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 23.0. The significance threshold was set at 5%.Resultsof the 116 enrolled children; 74 girls (63.79%) and 42 boys (36.21%) with a mean age of 4.80 ± 0.5 years. The highest proportion of thumb sucking was found in firstborn children (n=46, 39.65%), and in those who breastfed for less than 6 months (n=99, 85.62%). The prevalence of thumb sucking was 17.4%. Using the multivariate analysis, class II division 1 canine occlusion [OR=1.52 (1.27-2.68), p=0.03] and decreased overbite [OR=4.5 (2.5-9.3), p=0.001] while class II division 1 canine occlusion [OR=2.59 (1.3-10.1), p=0.009] and increased overjet [OR=1.89 (1.06-6.75), p=0.005] were independent morphologic abnormalities significantly associated with the frequency and the duration of thumb sucking respectively. There was no association between the duration and frequency of thumb sucking and the functional abnormalities.Conclusionthumb sucking is more common in girls and the likelihood of thumb sucking decreases with age. The prevalence of thumb sucking was 17.4%. The malocclusions observed in our population are class II division 1 canine relationship, decreased overbite and increased overjet.

Association between deleterious oral habits and asthma in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Deleterious oral habits (DOH) have been described as a common finding in pediatric series. Studies have investigated their association with local and systemic health problems. In this study, the association between DOH and asthma was investigated. PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and OpenThesis were accessed to identify observational studies that evaluated the association between DOH (thumb sucking, pacifier use, onychophagia or nail biting, bottle feeding) and asthma in children aged 2-17 years. Information on DOH was obtained from the verbal report of the children's parents. Asthma diagnosis was performed by a physician or using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. We used a random-effects model to pool the results. The odds ratio (OR) was used as measure of association between DOH and asthma. The National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was used to assess risk of bias. The GRADE approach was used to assess the quality of evidence. Five studies were included and data from 18,733 children aged 2 to 13 years were analyzed. We found an association between bottle feeding and asthma (OR = 1.25; 95%CI 1.13-1.38; p < 0.001) with moderate level of certainty. Despite the association between pacifier use and asthma (OR = 1.11; 95%CI 1.00-1.24; p = 0.05), the quality of evidence was low. Only one study provided data on nail biting and thumb-sucking, and the individual results showed no association between these habits and asthma. This meta-analysis found an association between bottle feeding, pacifier use, and asthma in children.

Oral habits in relation to malocclusions

Oral habits are learned patterns of muscle contraction and have a very complex nature. They are associated with anger, hunger, sleep, tooth eruption and fear. Basicallya habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconsciously. Habits are one of the major etiologic factors which will leads to malformation in dento-facial structures. Habits are the most frequent cause of these malformations mostly seen in the early childhood and mixed dentition stages.The oral bad habits that cause malocclussion problems include:Thumb sucking, it is a normal habit for babies, but causes serious orthodontic problems if it continues long after the eruption of permanent teeth. Prolonged thumb sucking can create crowded, crooked teeth, or bite problems and speech problems. Lip-biting or fingernail biting, both habits can shift the teeth out of alignment. Tongue thrusting, some children thrust their tongue forward,pressing it against the lips with a force that can result in teeth malocclusions such as ‘open bite’ or teeth protrusion (overjet). Modern orthodontics are usually able to treat most teeth malocclusions successfully, but prevention can help the family to avoid the large cost of orthodontic treatment.

Anxiety and harmful oral habits in preschool children during the 2020 first-wave COVID‑19 lockdown in Turkey.

Due to curfew and quarantine practices designed to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), social isolation has tested the psychological limits of children. The authors evaluated parent-observed symptoms of anxiety in preschool children with harmful oral habits during the curfew period in Turkey. The authors prepared a questionnaire with Google Forms that was distributed through social media applications (e.g., WhatsApp) to 405 parents recruited via snowball sampling. To measure children's symptoms and levels of anxiety, the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale (SPAS) was used. Harmful oral habits that might develop in children during the curfew were investigated. Separation anxiety and physical injury anxiety were reported by the parents more frequently than general anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Also, the presence of tantrums (p = 0.010), crying attacks (p = 0.010) and aggression (p = 0.010) were reported by the parents in these children. It was observed that the habits of finger sucking (p = 0.010), nail biting (p = 0.040) and lip biting (p = 0.010) that were present before the curfew decreased significantly after the curfew. Children aged 3-7 years can develop anxiety about physical injuries and about being separated from their parents as well as tantrums and crying attacks. Their harmful oral habits (i.e., finger sucking, nail biting and lip biting) all decreased during the curfew period.

Orthodontic evaluation of children and adolescents with different types of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders.

To assess general and oral health status, including the presence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment needs, in children and adolescents with FASD in relation to different types of this disorder. A total of 67 participants (29 males and 38 females) aged 2.5-17.8years with confirmed diagnosis of FASD were included. The participants were divided into three subgroups: foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial foetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders (ARND). General health, oral health status, history of dental trauma, presence of dysfunctions or parafunctions, and occlusion were examined. Additionally, the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) index was calculated. Selected variables were compared to the results obtained from a national monitoring survey on the oral health conditions in Poland. In children and adolescents with FASD, a number of systemic anomalies including alimentary, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders were present. Dysfunctions and parafunctions such as mouth breathing and thumb sucking were frequently recorded. Children with FASD had an increased prevalence of distal occlusion and crossbite compared to the general population. Malocclusions were more often identified in the FAS group. No significant differences in the IOTN between different FASD groups were found. Borderline need for orthodontic treatment was more frequent in children with FASD compared to controls. Early screening for the presence of dysfunctions/parafunctions and malocclusions in children with FASD is recommended, so that orthodontic prophylaxis and state-funded orthodontic care programmes for these children are implemented.

Sucking habit and malocclusion in children: a literature review

Malocclusion is an occlusion that deviates from normal conditions, there is irregularity tooth or incorrect placement of dental arches outside the normal curve. Malocclusion can be caused by various factors, such as sucking habit. Sucking habit is divided into nutritive sucking habit and non-nutritive sucking habit. This literature review is aimed to describe the roles of nutritive and non-nutritive sucking habit on malocclusion. Eleven articles were obtained through articles search engines such as Google Scho-lar and PubMed. From the literature search, it was found that breast feeding and bottle feeding do not cause malocclusion, but several studies stated that bottle feeding can cause malocclusion. Meanwhile, finger sucking and pacifying are considered to cause malocclusion. Nutritive sucking habit and non-nutritive sucking habit are also related, children who do not breastfeed di-rectly from their mother or breastfeed less than 6 months are more likely to use pacifier or suck their fingers.

CLOSURE OF MIDLINE DIASTEMA BY DIRECT COMPOSITE RESIN BUILD-UP USING PUTTY INDEX- A CASEREPORT

A common aesthetic concern among patient is maxillary anterior space or diastema. Labial frenulum, microdontia, mesiodens, peg-shaped lateral incisors, agenesis, cysts, habits such as finger sucking, tongue thrusting, or lip sucking, dental malformations, genetics, proclinations, dental-skeletal discrepancies, and imperfect coalescence of the interdental septum are some of the causes of midline diastema. For diastema closure there are a variety of therapy options. Many novel therapies have been applied, ranging from restorative procedures to surgery (frenectomies) and orthodontics for closure of diastema or a combination of procedures to meet the aesthetic and functional needs of patient’saesthetic. Recent advancement in direct dental composite resin allows dentists to do minimally invasive cosmetic dentistry that is both conservative and time-consuming. In diastema cases, direct composite resins give the dentist and patient entire control over the restriction and the construction of a natural smile. The purpose of this study is to present a case report of aesthetic management using putty index of maxillary anterior space, which includes the midline.

Assessment of Dental Arch Parameters in Turkish Twins.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to variations in dental dimensions in a sample of Turkish twins, and to estimate heritability using dental casts. The study samples were selected from the twin children between 3-15 years old who referred for their first dental examination. Fifty nine monozygotic and one hundred and forty three dizygotic twin pairs were examined in the study. The alginate impression material used to create the plaster model of maxilla and mandible. Anterior arch width, posterior arch width, arch length and arch circumference were measured on models prepared from measurements taken for both maxilla and mandible with digital caliper. The similarities and differences of the measurements were compared between pairs of twins and zygocytes. Morever, the effects of bad oral habits, bruxism, a result of psychosocial factors on measurements were examined. Statistical analysis was performed using Paired T Test, Wilcoxon Test and Mann Whitney U test. A total of 404 dental models of 118 (29.2%) monozygotic and 286 (70.8%) dizygotic twins were evaluated. There was no statistical difference between sibling pairs in both monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The measurement similarity between twin siblings differed according to zygosity in all measurements (p<0.05). It has been observed that the finger sucking and mouth breathing affect the dental arch measurements (p<0.05). These results indicate that the differences in dental arch dimensions between monozygotic twin pairs are less than the difference between dizygotic twin pairs.

Modified RURS Elbow Guard: An Alternative Approach for Thumb Sucking

Digit sucking or thumb sucking is one of the most common habits usually seen in children. These habits habitually lapse in mid-childhood. The continued persistence of these habits will bring about harmful unbalanced pressures to alveolar ridges, changes in the position of teeth, and occlusion which may result in abnormality if they are continued for a long time. This case report presents a case of a 5-year-old male child patient with a habit of thumb sucking that was successfully ceased by a modified RURS elbow guard appliance.How to cite this article: Anand S, Jyoti D, Shukla JN, et al. Modified RURS Elbow Guard: An Alternative Approach for Thumb Sucking. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(4):590–592.

Prevalence of Oral Habits in Dentalanomalies

There are a lot of oral habits in which are included even non-nutritional habits. The role of these habits has been evidenced in the development of different malocclusion in each plane, vertical, transversal and sagittal ones. The reason why habits can cause such problems is based on equilibrium theory. The main purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of non-nutritional habits and their effect development of dental anomalies. The method of this study was descriptive in prospectively. Its duration was 20 months. The age of children taken in this study vary from 6 to 15 years old and was selected casually at clinics of “University of Mother of Good Council” and two private clinics. Results we were able to fill the questionnaires of 194 patients in which 50.3% of them were females and 43.1% of them were males. According to the age of children, there was a frequency of 46.7% of 6-10 years old children and 53.3% of 11-15 years old ones. Results on the frequency of non-nutritive habits were about 64% of fake pacifier usage, in which there was a variety of percentage of time when it was used. Meanwhile, thumb sucking resulted in 10.20 % of results, lip biting or sucking 7.10%. Conclusions: This group age was very often in predisposition to have such habits. Our results confirm the impact of these habits in the development of different malocclusions. We recommend applying preventive strategies so we can avoid the installation of these habits and such malocclusions.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in Tongue Thrust Habit: A Narrative Review.

Aim and objectiveThe respective review article is to provide an overview of the various exercises in orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) as a treatment modality for tongue thrust habit. Tongue thrust is the persistence of an infantile swallow pattern during late childhood. This leads to breathing and speech difficulties, open bite, and protruded teeth. During formative years, most children successfully transition from an infantile to a mature swallowing pattern. However, a few develop a retained infantile swallow and tongue thrust habit which could be due to abnormal habit like thumb sucking or an underlying cause like enlarged adenoids. Adverse effects of these habits can be avoided by early detection and intervention in a growing child. Tongue thrust can be treated in different ways with early diagnosis, removal of underlying causes, correcting tongue posture, and breaking of habit with the use of orthodontic appliances. This review article is focused on the various OMT techniques employed for the correction of tongue thrust. There are several exercises in OMT which can help a child with tongue thrust. These can be performed at home under the supervision of the child's parents. Orofacial myofunctional therapy has provided a dramatic and positive influence on patients treated for tongue thrust. The joy of eating, speaking, and correct breathing can be regained along with confidence, self-esteem, and improved quality of life. Clinically, OMT plays a positive role by not only improving swallow but also the posture of tongue, improper muscle function, and reduces relapse of previous orthodontic treatments.How to cite this articleShah SS, Nankar MY, Bendgude VD, et al. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in Tongue Thrust Habit: A Narrative Review. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(2):298–303.

The effect of feeding methods and non-nutritive sucking habits on early childhood caries and development of occlusion (A cross-sectional study)

Background and objectives: Early Childhood Caries (ECC ) is the most common chronic disease conditioning childhood and involves the presence of one or more decayed (noncavitated or cavitated lesions),missing(due to caries), or filled tooth surfaces in children under 72 months of age.Time and frequency of breast-feeding, artificial feeding and of non-nutritive sucking habits can influence orofacial development, and when negative can provoke instability of orofacial function. Sucking habits involving digits or dummies are the most tangible environmental factors that play a role in the etiology of malocclusion.Subjects and method: A cross sectional study performed on aconvenient samples of 500 preschool child renaged between 4-6 years old in Erbil city. Parents (mothers ) were asked for a permission to include their children in the study. A short interview with the mothers of the children preceded the dental examination. The clinical examination included child weight, height determination and dental examination.Results: The results showed that prevalence of caries in breast fed children was (70.6%), in bottle was (62.4%) and both fed children was (65%) with no significant association between type of feeding and caries prevalence (P=0.298). Mean dmfs in males was (9.84±12.99) which is higher than mean dmfs of females (7.39 ±10.58). Class II canine classification was higher in bottle and both feeding than in breast feeding and there was no prevalence of Class III canine relation was found in bottle feeding.Conclusion: Type of feeding was not found to be related to development of early childhood caries in primary dentition of preschool children. Bottle feeding was considered as a risk factor for development of class II canine relation. Non-nutritive sucking (finger, pacifier sucking and both) were found to be risk factors for the development of anterior open bite and posterior cross bite. Finger sucking produces the development of unilateral posterior cross bite in primary dentition.