Validation of Association between Breastfeeding Duration, Facial Profile, Occlusion, and Spacing: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: This cross-sectional retrospective study was designed to assess the relationships among breastfeeding duration, nonnutritive sucking habits, convex facial profile, nonspaced dentition, and distoclusion in the deciduous dentition.Materials and methods: A sample of 415 children (228 males, 187 females) aged 4 to 6 years from a mixed Indian population was clinically examined by two orthodontists. Information about breastfeeding duration and nonnutritive sucking habits was obtained by written questionnaire which was answered by the parents.Results: Chi-square test did not indicate any significant association among breastfeeding duration, convex facial profile, and distoclusion. Statistically significant association was observed between breastfeeding duration and nonspaced dentition and also between breastfeeding duration and nonnutritive sucking habits. Nonnutritive sucking habits had a statistically significant association with distoclusion and convex facial profile (odds ratio 7.04 and 4.03 respectively). Nonnutritive sucking habits did not have a statistically significant association with nonspaced dentition.Conclusion: The children breastfed < 6 months had almost twofold increased probability for developing sucking habits and nonspaced dentition, respectively, than the children who had breastfeeding > 6 months duration. It can also be hypothesized that nonnutritive sucking habits may act as a dominant variable in the relationship between breastfeeding duration and occurrence of convex facial profile and distoclusion in deciduous dentition.How to cite this article: Agarwal SS, Sharma M, Nehra K, Jayan B, Poonia A, Bhattal H. Validation of Association between Breastfeeding Duration, Facial Profile, Occlusion, and Spacing: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(2):162-166.

Association between duration of breastfeeding and malocclusions in primary and mixed dentition: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Regarding dental and skeletal class II malocclusion, despite some discrepancies the majority of studies considered that breastfeeding is associated with less distocclusion in both primary 13, 14, 32 and mixed dentition 31 . However, other authors 19, 30, 33 found no relationship between breastfeeding and class II in mixed and primary dentition, respectively.…”

“…and Agarwal et al . 13, 14, 32, 33 investigated the same association in primary dentition. The relationship between breastfeeding and the development of occlusion/malocclusion was analyzed in nine studies, all in primary dentition 5–7, 10–12, 18, 34, 35 .…”

“…The relationship between breastfeeding and the presence/absence of interdental spaces in primary dentition was examined by three studies 9, 11, 33 . Only one study 36 investigated the association between breastfeeding and palate depth in primary dentition, and one other 37 looked at the association between breastfeeding and facial pattern in mixed dentition.…”

“…Two concluded that breastfeeding for up to six months is related to an absence of maxillary spaces 9, 33 , while the third related the existence of breastfeeding to diastema and primate spaces 11 .…”

Does breastfeeding have a long-term positive effect on dental occlusion?

“…Breastfeeding can be seen as a natural orthopaedic appliance that promotes good craniofacial development, as the movements produced by the tongue and mandible during the suction of breast milk stimulate a better maxillary and mandibular growth (2). Furthermore, for the child to obtain milk during breastfeeding the stimulation of tongue and peribuccal muscles is required, whereas less effort is required for bottle-fed children to obtain milk, therefore causing less stimulation of the orofacial structures (3).…”