Evidências clínicas das parafunções em dentes anteriores

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The parafunctions of the stomatognathic system consist of a neuromuscular activity without any functional purpose. As a result of these harmful habits, malformations may arise at the dental, skeletal and tissue level, as well as clinical evidence attesting to their presence, such as tooth wear and tooth fissures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, clinical and non-interventional observational study was carried out. The sample consisted of 103 individuals, to whom a clinical examination was performed by the main investigator and a questionnaire applied in order to verify the existence of clinical signs of parafunctional activity in the anterior teeth. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of parafunctional habits, as well as to detect clinical signs caused by them, in order to establish a possible cause-effect relationship, within a well-defined population. RESULTS: 16 of the 18 habits analyzed showed to appear with a higher prevalence in female individuals. The most prevalent habits were the use of chewing gum and resting the chin on the hand. Canines in the upper arch and central incisors in the lower arch were the teeth most affected by wear. The upper central incisors were the teeth with the greatest number of cracks. Most students reported an increase in the frequency of their parafunctional habits with the proximity of theoretical and practical assessments and mentioned a slight increase during social confinement. CONCLUSION: It was determined the existence of correlations between the parafunctions and the clinical signs evidenced by the anterior teeth, revealing these findings to be very useful in the early diagnosis of parafunctions.

Date of Award	23 Jul 2021
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Vanessa Silva (Supervisor), Helena Salgado (Co-Supervisor) & Patrícia Fonseca (Co-Supervisor)