Mouth breathing is associated with a higher prevalence of anterior dental caries in preschool children.

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between anterior dental caries and the predominant type of breathing in preschoolers. The research involved a sample of 257 children aged between 3 and 5 years, who were enrolled in public daycare centers and preschools in the city of Diamantina, MG, Brazil. A questionnaire was applied to parents/guardians to collect sociodemographic data, habits, oral health, and a dietary diary used to calculate the Sucrose Consumption Index. The predominant type of breathing, whether nasal or through the mouth, was determined through direct observation. Dental caries was assessed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). Descriptive analyses and the Poisson regression were conducted to analyze the data. The results revealed a higher prevalence of anterior dental caries among children who predominantly breathed through the mouth (PR = 1.57; 95%CI: 1.01-2.46; p = 0.047), who exhibited a higher frequency of sucrose consumption (PR = 4.02; 95%CI: 2.03-7.95; p < 0.001), and had mothers with lower educational levels (PR = 1.53; 95%CI: 1.01-2.32; p = 0.043). Pacifier use was associated with a lower prevalence of anterior dental caries (PR = 0.57; 95%CI: 0.34-0.96; p = 0.035). In conclusion, this investigation demonstrated an association between carious lesions in the anterior teeth and predominantly mouth breathing in preschoolers.