Prevalence of Parafunctional Habits in Dental Students from the Interior of the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

There is a complex relationship between the stomatognathic system and the rest of the organism. One of the components of the temporomandibular joint, allows opening movements, closure, retrusion, and protrusion beyond the laterality of the mandible, being one of the complex joints of the human body and may suffer systemic or local changes. This study aims to verify the prevalence of some parafunctional habits in dentistry students at UNIFEB and demonstrate the need for early diagnosis, guidance and awareness to reduce possible damage to the stomatognathic system. This is an observational, transverse, descriptive and quantitative study to investigate a relation of some parafunctional habits in 106 students of the dentistry course aged between 18 and 33 years. We used questionnaires filled out by the researcher himself and, after this filling, the students were submitted to clinical examination to identify signs and sequels caused by parafunctional habits. The data collected were recorded in a clinical file and compared with the questionnaire data. The results obtained in the questionnaire, after analysis, showed that the variable that presented the highest percentage was of the students who support the chin with hands 64.15% (n=68). In relation to the other habits investigated, 52.86% (n=56) had teeth clenching, nail-gnawing 33.96% (n=36), teeth grinding and chewing on the cheek or tongue 29.25% n=31), the students who bite the lip 26,42% (n=28) and the one with the lowest index were those who bite some object 12,26% (n=13), besides that there was an association of habits in several students. In the clinical examination, it can be concluded that there was a high prevalence of parafunctional habits among these students, however, the most observed habit was bruxism, both in its centric and eccentric form. Due to the difference between the data of the questionnaire and those of the clinical examination, it was evident that the student does not have the perception of all the parafunctional habits that he presents, thus demonstrating the need for early diagnosis, orientation and awareness to reduce possible damages to the system stomatognathic.