Nail-biting Habits Research Articles

Influence of nail biting and finger sucking habits on the oral carriage of Enterobacteriaceae.

Background:Oral habits like thumb sucking and nail biting are pernicious habits that act as an adaptive function in obtaining pleasure and subduing anxiety. These habits may also act as carriers of numerous microorganisms into the oral cavity, of which, Enterobacteriaceae members are transient pathogens, which might result in debilitating systemic conditions.Aim:To study the oral carriage of Enterobacteriaceae in children having habit of nail biting and thumb sucking. And to study the association of the organism with the individual's respective plaque indices.Subjects and Methods:Totally, 40 chronic nail biters, 40 chronic thumb suckers, and 20 controls (no habit) (8-15 years old) were enrolled in the study. Appropriate history and their plaque indices recorded. Sterile containers were used to collect the salivary samples and later cultured on Agar plates. Biochemical tests categorized the organisms into subspecies.Statistical Analysis Used:ANNOVA, Student's t-test.Results:Presence of a nail biting habit indicated a higher plaque index, which in turn showed a higher carriage of Enterobacteria spps, predominantly Escherichia coli.Conclusions:Oral surgical intervention in individuals with pernicious oral habits need to be counseled and educated on the possible complications, which might otherwise provide an environment that disseminates these microorganisms resulting in a broad range of local and systemic infections.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus sp. colonizing health care workers of a cancer hospital.

The aim of the study was to analyze epidemiological and microbiological aspects of oral colonization by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus of health care workers in a cancer hospital. Interview and saliva sampling were performed with 149 health care workers. Antimicrobial resistance was determined by disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration. Polymerase Chain Reaction, Internal Transcribed Spacer-Polymerase Chain Reaction and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis were performed for genotypic characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus. Risk factors were determined by logistic regression. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus colonization prevalence was 19.5%, denture wearing (p = 0.03), habit of nail biting (p = 0.04) and preparation and administration of antimicrobial (p = 0.04) were risk factors identified. All methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus were S. epidermidis, 94.4% of them had mecA gene. Closely related and indistinguishable methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis were detected. These results highlight that HCWs which have contact with patient at high risk for developing infections were identified as colonized by MRSE in the oral cavity, reinforcing this cavity as a reservoir of these bacteria and the risk to themselves and patients safety, because these microorganisms may be spread by coughing and talking.

A Study of Prevalence of Intestinal Protozoan Infections and Associated Risk Factors Among the School Children of Itahari, Eastern Region of Nepal

Intestinal parasites, notably the protozoa are among the most common infections of school age children where they cause morbidity in developing countries.The objective of the study was to measure the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infec­tion and to identify risk factors associated with protozoan infection among the school children of Itahari.The cross sectional study was conducted in Grade VI, VII and VIII in schools of Itahari Municipality. Stratified random sampling method was applied to choose the schools and the study subjects. Semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the study subjects and microscopic examination of stool was done.The Chi-square test was used to measure the association of risk factors and intestinal protozoan infections.Overall intestinal protozoan infection was found to be 18.5 percent. Giardia lamblia was found high (10.5%) in comparison to Entamoeba histolytica (8%). Almost (18.4%) of male and (18.6%) of female were infected with protozoan parasites. The use of soap and water after defecation had lower prevalence of protozoan infections (16%) than only use of water (28.9%). The protozoan infection was significantly lower among having clean nail (6%) in comparison to having not clean (24.8%) respectively. We conclude that the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infection was found to be high in school children of Itahari and those having unhygienic skin, nail and clothes, and the habit of nail biting and thumb sucking was found to have significant relationship in the causation of intestinal protozoan infection. Journal of Chitwan Medical College 2013; 3(1): 32-36 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmc.v3i1.8463

Oral carriage of enterobacteriaceae among school children with chronic nail-biting habit

Context:Onychophagia or habitual nail-biting is widespread among children and adolescents, between 10 and 18 years. Prevalence estimates range from 30% during childhood to 45% in adolescence. Nail-biting habit can result in autoinoculation of pathogens and transmission of infection between body parts.Aims:The purpose of the study was to evaluate the differences in prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae (E. coli and Enterobacter spp) in saliva samples from subjects with and without chronic nail-biting habit.Subjects and Methods:One hundred and twenty-two subjects with chronic nail-biting habit and 122 subjects with no oral habit were enrolled in the study. All subjects were aged 11-15 years. The saliva samples were collected by oral rinse technique, samples were studied microbiologically.Statistical Analysis Used:Two-tailed Student's t-test and Chi-square/Fisher's exact test were used to find the significance of study parameters between the groups.Results:Enterobacteriaceae were detected in the saliva samples of 80 of the 122 nail-biting subjects, whereas Enterobacteriaceae were detected in the saliva samples of only 10 of the 122 subjects who were not nail-biters. This difference in prevalence was statistically significant (P < 0.001).Conclusions:Our results suggest a higher carriage of Enterobacteriaceae in the individuals having nail-biting habits when compared to individuals with no habits. Further studies need to be done to know the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae species in different age groups.

A study of prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated risk factors among the school children of Itahari, Eastern Region of Nepal

Introduction:Intestinal parasitic infestation is a major public health problem in children of developing countries Because of poor socio-economic conditions and lack of good hygienic living. The aims of this study were to measure the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infestations and to identify risk factors associated with parasitic infestations among the school children of Itahari Municipality.Materials and Methods:The cross-sectional study was conducted in Grade VI, VII and VIII in Government and private schools of Itahari Municipality. Stratified random sampling method was applied to choose the schools and the study subjects. Semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the study subjects and microscopic examination of stool was done. The Chi-square test was used to measure the association of risk factors and parasitic infestation.Results:Overall intestinal parasitic infestation was found to be 31.5%. Around 13% of the study population was found to be infested with helminthes and 18.5% of the study population was protozoa infected. Not using soap after defecation, not wearing sandals, habit of nail biting and thumb sucking were found to be significantly associated with parasitic infection.Conclusions:The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infestation was found to be high in school children of Itahari. Poor sanitary condition, lack of clean drinking water supply and education is supposed to play an important role in establishing intestinal parasitic infections.

Masochistic habits in a child patient:A case report and its management

This is a case report of diagnosis and management of masochistic habits, a special type of mechanical trauma to the gingival tissue known as self-inflicted lesions, also termed as gingivitis artefacta. Self-inflicted injuries can be premeditated, accidental, or can also result from an uncommon habit. The purpose of this article is to review clinical findings in a 6-year-old female patient who had a habit of left forearm sucking since birth and also presented with a nail-biting habit which caused a gingival stripping on the left buccal surface of maxillary first and second deciduous molars. A full-arm sleeve was advised to be used for habit breaking, selective grinding of cusps was done of lower left first and second deciduous molars, and also topical anesthetic gel was prescribed.

Onychophagia and postorthodontic isolated gingival recession: Diagnosis and treatment

This clinical report describes the diagnosis and the management of isolated-type recession defects of complex etiology in 2 healthy postorthodontic patients. The lesions were confined to 1 mandibular incisor and were associated with an abnormal buccolingual inclination of the affected tooth despite a lingual retainer made with a round stainless steel twisted wire. After careful questioning, it was determined that the recession defects were indirect effects of habitual onychophagia. The concomitant fingernail-biting habit and the lingual bonded retainer led to the indirect development of bone dehiscence and, consequently, gingival recession.

Oral parafunctions as risk factors for diagnostic TMD subgroups

The frequency of diurnal clenching and/or grinding and nail-biting habits was assessed in patients affected by temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and in healthy controls in order to investigate the possible association between these oral parafunctions and different diagnostic subgroups of TMDs. The case group included 557 patients (127 men, mean age +/- SD = 34.5 +/- 15.4 years; 430 women, mean age +/- SD = 32.9 +/- 14.1 years) affected by myofascial pain or disc displacement or arthralgia/arthritis/arthrosis. The control group included 111 healthy subjects (55 men, mean age +/- SD = 37 +/- 15.2 years; 56 women, mean age +/- SD = 38.2 +/- 13.8 years). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between oral parafunctions and TMDs, after adjusting for age and gender. Daytime clenching/grinding was a significant risk factor for myofascial pain (odds ratio (OR) = 4.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.0-7.8) and for disc displacement (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.4-4.3), nail biting was not associated to any of the subgroups investigated. Female gender was a significant risk factor for myofascial pain (OR = 3.8; 95% CI: 2.4-6.1), whereas the risk factor for developing disc displacement decreased with ageing. No association was found between gender, age and arthralgia/arthritis/arthrosis.

Gingival Abscess Due to an Unusual Nail-Biting Habit: A Case Report

Nail-biting is one of the most frequent deleterious oral habits in children. It can result in systemic diseases or oral traumatic lesion. This report describes a case of gingival abscess in a child due to a fingernail-biting habit. A 5-year, 6-month-old female presented gingival swelling and fistula in the primary maxillary left central and right lateral incisors as an unusual sequelae to the periodontal tissues from fingernail-biting. A periodontal curette was used to remove the fragments and to curette the area. After the curettage, an exudate of blood and pus was drained. Then the area was irrigated with 0.12% chlorhexidine solution; applying finger pressure controlled the secretion. After one week, the patient returned with gingival swelling present in the same teeth. The same curettage procedure was performed. It was suggested that the deleterious habit was related to emotional tension and anxiety behaviors and the patient was referred for psychological treatment. When the patient returned one month later, she was still biting her fingernails, but she had stopped placing fragments into the gingival crevice. No more gingival inflammation or swelling was observed. his paper presents an unusual case report of a gingival abscess due to a fingernail-biting habit in a child, probably related to an emotional condition. The fingernail-biting habit can induce a periodontal traumatic injury yielding a more serious complication such as a gingival abscess.

Effect of a chronic nail-biting habit on the oral carriage of Enterobacteriaceae

Effect of a chronic nail-biting habit on the oral carriage of Enterobacteriaceae

Effect of a chronic nail‐biting habit on the oral carriage of Enterobacteriaceae

Nail biting is a common oral habit in children and young adults. However, its effect on the oral carriage of Enterobacteriaceae is unclear. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the differences in prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae in saliva samples from subjects with and without a nail-biting habit. Saliva samples were taken from 25 subjects who were nail-biters and 34 subjects with no oral habit. The mean chronological age for all subjects was 13.5 +/- 1.9 years. The saliva samples were studied microbiologically. A Pearson chi-squared test was performed to compare the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae in the saliva samples of the subjects with and without nail-biting habits. Statistically significant differences were found in the prevalence of Escherichia coli and total Enterobacteriaceae between both groups (P < 0.001). E. coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae and Enterobacter gergoviae were found in the saliva samples of 19 of the 25 nail-biting subjects (76%), whereas E. coli, E. aerogenes and E. cloacae were detected in the saliva samples of only nine of the 34 subjects who were not nail-biters (26.5%). According to the results of the present study, the Enterobacteriaceae were more prevalent in the oral cavities of children with nail-biting habits than in children with no oral habit.

Niveles de plomo en sangre de los niños de la corona metropolitana de Madrid

The objective is to determine the blood lead levels of the children (7-8 years of age) living in some of Madrid's satellite towns, and to establish links between these levels and different socioeconomic items, life styles and environmental factors, among other variables. A cross-sectional study using a sample based on 205 schoolchildren of Second Grade Primary Education, was under taken during 1995. Venous blood samples were analysed through atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Parents answered a questionnaire with items used in this study. The average blood lead level found was 3.9 mud/dl (CI 95% 3.7-4.1), with higher levels among the children of the Northern zone of Madrid. Between the associated factors to blood lead level was found to be the habit of nail biting, mother's studies and some variables associated with habitual dwelling. We reached the conclusion that the blood lead levels of Madrid's suburban children are low.

Permanent Paresthesia to Sculptured Nails: A Distressing Problem

In order to discourage her habit of nail biting and to repair her damaged nails, a 50-year-old woman sought cosmetic improvement in a beauty salon, where a manicurist suggested the use of sculptured nails. A permanent paresthesia resulted from this procedure without allergic reaction.

Nailbiting: frequency and association with root resorption during orthodontic treatment.

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the incidence and intensity of nailbiting and its possible role in root resorption during orthodontic treatment. A sample of 1365 boys and girls, aged 13-15 years old, were investigated about their nailbiting habits. The possible effect of nailbiting on root resorption during orthodontic treatment was evaluated by radiographic examination of two groups, matched with regard to overjet, age, sex, length and type of orthodontic treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances, one group consisting of 21 severe nailbiters and the other a group of 21 patients without the habit. Replies to questionnaires distributed to 340 boys and girls showed that the incidence of nailbiting was 45 per cent. The habit of severe nailbiting among 1025 of the children investigated was registered in 14.3 per cent. There was no significant difference regarding the habit between boys and girls. The apical root resorption index was significantly higher in the severe nailbiters before (p less than 0.01) and after (p less than 0.001) orthodontic treatment.

Vicarious, direct, and imaginal aversion in habit control: Outcomes, heart rates, and subjective perceptions

Direct, modeled, or imaginal shocks administered by therapist or recipient were compared as aversion techniques for 60 women college students with severe nail-biting habits. All methods increased habit control (p <.001)on self-report and objective measures but with no outcome differences among treatments. Providing mental rehearsal guidance for extralaboratory use failed to alter outcome but raised client optimism to ward therapy. Vicarious aversion produced the most rapid heart rates and, typically, the greatest subjective arousal; no data suggested that direct shock was superior. In a second study with unselected student volunteers of both sexes, modeled shock consistently surpassed imaginal shock in ratings of perceived badness, subjective discomfort, and vividness of covert pain (p <.01).Treatment and ethical implications were discussed.

Finger-sucking in children. A study of incidence and occlusal conditions.

In this examination of predominantly 12-year old children the overall incidence of finger-suckers was 30.7 per cent. The habit had been given up by 17.4 per cent before school age, while 1.9 per cent still had this habit at the time of the study. Prolonged finger-sucking was more common in girls than in boys. The overall incidence of nail-biters was 26.6 per cent. Finger-sucking and nail-biting habits showed a tendency of coinciding. Orthodontic treatment had been received by 13.4 per cent of the children.The investigation showed that the finger-sucking habit had led to a decreased overbite and an increased overjet, but no postnormal molar relation. No obvious improvement of finger-sucking anomalies could be shown after the habit had been given up, when this had persisted until the age of 12-14 years.