Parafunctional habits and attitude to oral health reported by students attending public middle schools in the South of Italy

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ABSTRACT

Aim

This study aimed to assess the frequency of parafunctional habits and self-reported temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms in middle school Sicilian students (Southern Italy), their attitude to oral health, and their eventual associations with some demographical variables.

Results

A total of 1511 students completed the questionnaire. A high prevalence of risk behaviours was observed: 840 (55.6%) students reported nail-biting, and 1151 (76.2%) students stated chewing bubblegum. A total of 460 (30.5%) students reported hearing TMJ noises and 213 (14.1%) woke up in the morning with jaw pain. Females exhibited higher rates of risk behaviours (80.5% chewed gum, 59.6% bit nails) and TMJ-related symptoms, and 34.3% of them with jaw pain vs 26.6% of males. Furthermore, females demonstrated more diligent oral health behaviours than males: 73.2 % brushed their teeth after each meal vs 54.1 % of males (OR > 2, 95% CI: 1.87–2.88). Overall, females demonstrated a higher rate of correct responses, particularly on unhealthy oral habits, compared to males, with 82.9% of females answering correctly versus 73.9% of males.

Conclusion

Parafunctional oral habits were identified as highly frequent, exerting considerable impact on oral health; a gender-specific frequency was observed. Dental practitioners should include the screening of TMDs in their routine dental examinations; caregivers and teachers should encourage correct oral behaviours in children and adolescents.

Study Design and Statistics

In this exploratory study, a survey was circulated among 19 Sicilian public middle schools. The anonymous questionnaire assessed oral parafunctional habits, TMJ symptoms, and the attitude to oral health.
Statistical analysis was performed to identify patterns and associations in the collected data. All categorical variables were presented as counts and percentages, stratified by gender (female vs. male) and age. To streamline the analysis, respondents were categorised as ‘diligent’ or ‘not diligent’ based on behaviours promoting good oral health, determined by their correct vs incorrect responses. Associations between variables were analyzed using chi-square tests or Odds Ratios.

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