Educational intervention applied in children from 5 to 11 years of age with deforming oral habits

• Main Authors: María de los Santos Haces Yanes (Author), Clotilde de la Caridad Mora Pérez (Author), Nicolás Ramón Cruz Pérez (Author), Ivette Alvarez Mora (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Centro Provincial de Información de Ciencias Médicas. Cienfuegos, 2009-04-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1727-897X
• Keywords: hábitos; maloclusión; anomalías dentarias; anomalías de la boca; educación en salud dental; servicios de odontología escolar; Medicine (General); R5-920; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Medisur, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 73-82 (2009)

<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; font-family: Tahoma;"><strong>Background:</strong> Habits are complex neuromuscular patterns learnt by frequent repetition and act as unnatural forces that may cause dental maxillofacial defects. <strong>Objective:</strong> To assess the intervention of educative measures applied to children with deforming buccal habits in the primary school Raúl Suárez Martínez from the zone "Rafaelito". <strong>Methods:</strong> A cuasi-experimental study was developed, with before-after intervention without control group including 253 children from December 2006 to November 2007. We applied the program "To Happily Smile" with a weekly frequency. Surveys were applied to children, parents and teachers after the educational actions to achieve the reduction ofincorrect habits. The studied variables were: age, sex, deforming habits frequency before and after the intervention. <strong>Results:</strong> The knowledge level of children, parents and teachers was significantly improved. Risk factors were eradicated in more than 50% of the children being the most frequent: lingual protraction, baby bottle suction, mainly among females. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> The intervention was successful for the reduction of deforming oral habits, and the high level of knowledge acquired. After the intervention it was shown that the educative process is a key tool for the General Comprehensive Dentist. </span> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p>