Prevalence of malocclusion in early childhood and its associated factors in a primary care service in Brazil.
Natalia de Abreu Pegoraro, Camila Mello Dos Santos, Beatriz Carriconde Colvara and 4 others
PMID 34816947WHAT IT FOUND
In toddlers aged roughly two years, 53.4% had malocclusion.
Children who never breastfed or who always used a pacifier to sleep had significantly higher rates. These habits are modifiable targets for early prevention.
Key findings
01The total prevalence of malocclusion was 53.4% in the examined children.
02Children who never breastfed had a higher prevalence of malocclusion (PR 1.44), though the confidence interval lower bound touched 1.00.
03Children who always used a pacifier to sleep had a higher prevalence of malocclusion (PR 1.81).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that breastfeeding or pacifier use caused the malocclusion, only that they are associated. The association with never breastfeeding was borderline, with a confidence interval starting at 1.00, meaning the result is less certain than the pacifier finding. Only children with erupted molars were examined, excluding those with delayed dentition, which may bias the sample. The findings are from a specific community in Brazil and may not generalize to other regions due to socioeconomic and cultural differences.
Declared interests
The study was funded by CNPq and FAPERGS. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the association with never breastfeeding as a definitive cause. The confidence interval (1.00-2.08) touches the null value, and the authors note this result requires parsimonious interpretation compared to the stronger evidence for pacifier use.