Oral Habits and their Impact on Oral and General Health

Oral habits are repetitive patterns of behavior involving the oral cavity, including digit sucking, lip sucking, tongue thrusting, nail-biting, object biting and bruxism, which has significant effects on health. Several aetiological factors have been implicated in the initiation of oral habits which are commonly observed in childhood with a prevalence as high as 85% reported in some population groups. Habits are initially pleasurable to the engagers, providing a sense of warmth, happiness, and security. The majority of oral habits are discontinued by the age of 5 leaving minimal undesirable effects. However, when habits persist, they can have negative impacts on oral health, general health, and quality of life.

Detrimental effects associated with the persistence of oral habits include ulcers, callosities, malocclusion, dental caries, periodontal diseases, otitis media, and sleep disorders. Oral habits can also result in poor self-esteem and reduced peer acceptance, affecting social integration. Optimal management of oral habits, therefore, relies on the intervention of various health professionals. Very few studies have examined the relationships between oral habits, general and oral health, and quality of life. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary nature of the problem highlights the need for a dedicated article collection shedding light on various aspects of the topic.

This Research Topic welcomes manuscripts that provide current information on oral habits, historical perspectives, changes in patterns of presentation in contemporary times, and reports of innovative approaches to breaking oral habits. In addition, results of empirical research that determine the relationship between oral habits, oral health, and general health; psychosocial development and emotional wellbeing; methods of standardization and assessment of severity and effects of habits; and reports of evaluation of the effectiveness and failures of methods of habit-breaking intervention are desired. Systematic review and meta-analysis of data on the etiology of oral habits, their prevention, methods of intervention, and management of the sequelae will also be acceptable.

Potential topics include the following, but are not limited to:

• Epidemiological reports of oral habits from countries with limited reports;
• Relationship between infant feeding practices and oral habits;
• Detrimental effects of oral habits on oral and general health;
• Relationship between oral habits and mental health;
• Non -nutritive sucking habits and vulnerability to gastrointestinal infections;
• Progression of oral habits to other habitual body manipulations;
• Oral habits in children with cleft lip/palate and other craniofacial disorders;
• Association between oral habits, sleep behavior and sleep related breathing disorders;
• Innovative methods of assessing the severity and effects of oral habits;
• Evidence of effectiveness and failures of habit-breaking interventions;
• Systematic reviews and meta-analysis on oral habit-related topics;
• Conceptual frameworks on the relationship between oral habits and well-being.

Keywords: quality of life, oral habits, non-nutritive sucking, prevalence, interventions, management, oral health, general health

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.