Detrimental Oral Habits - Orthodontics - OrtoMestre

Harmful Oral Habits in Children (Hábitos Bucais Deletérios)
📌 The persistence of undesirable oral habits significantly impacts facial growth and development in children and adolescents.
😟 These habits alter normal growth patterns, damage the occlusion, and create muscle force imbalances that distort dental arch shape.
🦷 Non-nutritive sucking habits (like pacifier or thumb-sucking) and onychophagia (nail-biting) are the most frequent habits found in early childhood.

Classification and Consequences of Habits
📚 Oral habits are classified into non-nutritive sucking, object biting, bruxism, functional habits (mouth breathing, atypical swallowing) based on Lino's 1995 division.
👶 Pacifier use and thumb-sucking are most prevalent in the first years of life, often leading to open bite and crossbite alterations.
🦴 Nail-biting (onychophagia) can cause crossbite and overload on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Mouth Breathing and Treatment Approach
🌬️ Mouth breathers often exhibit characteristic facial features: dark circles, droopy eyes, dry/hypotonic lips, maxillary protrusion, mandibular recession, and a high-arched palate (ogival palate).
⚕️ Successful treatment for mouth breathers requires the involvement of multiple specialties.
🛑 It is crucial to intercept the presence of the habit early to correct existing malocclusions and prevent further damage to the growing face.
🕰️ Literature suggests that habits should ideally be removed around three to four years of age to allow for potential self-correction of the malocclusion.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The primary concern with oral habits is their impact on facial growth and socio-emotional well-being.
➡️ Early interception of habits like pacifier use is recommended, ideally by age 3–4 years, to maximize the potential for occlusal self-correction.
➡️ Recognizing the specific facial and dental markers associated with habits like mouth breathing is essential for comprehensive diagnosis and treatment planning.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Feb 16, 2026, 11:42 UTC