Prevalence of Oral Deleterious Habits among children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to estimate the prevalence of oral deleterious habits in children, providing essential evidence for targeted prevention and intervention strategies.

Oral habits such as thumb-sucking, lip biting, nail-biting, bruxism, mouth breathing, and tongue thrusting significantly contribute to dentofacial anomalies, which can potentially result in malocclusions. Understanding their prevalence is crucial for developing early intervention protocols to mitigate long-term oral health complications.

The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024511134) and adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and APA PsycINFO. Grey literature was identified through ProQuest, Google Scholar, and the Shodhganga database. Eligible studies were subjected to meta-analysis.

Out of 1211 identified records, 54 studies encompassing a total of 53,119 children aged 3-18 years were included. The pooled prevalence of oral deleterious habits was 28.9 %, with mouth breathing (21.1 %) and bruxism (19.0 %) being the most commonly reported habits. The habits were slightly more prevalent among males (29.4 %) than among females (26.9 %). In males, bruxism was the most frequent habit (19.9 %), whereas lip biting was the least common (6.1 %). Among females, bruxism was also most prevalent (17.6 %), with lip biting being the least reported (5.9 %). The prevalence was highest in children aged 6-12 years (32.1 %), followed by those aged 3-6 years (25.2 %), and lowest among adolescents (17.1 %).

Oral deleterious habits are prevalent among children and can have adverse effects on dental and maxillofacial development. Early identification and timely intervention are critical to preventing malocclusions and reducing the burden of long-term orthodontic treatment.