Augmenting simplified habit reversal in the treatment of oral-digital habits exhibited by individuals with mental retardation. (1/12)

We investigated whether a simplified habit reversal treatment eliminates fingernail biting and related oral-digital habits exhibited by individuals with mild to moderate mental retardation. Although simplified habit reversal did little to decrease the target behaviors for 3 of 4 participants, simplified habit reversal plus additional treatment procedures decreased the behavior to near-zero levels for all participants. These procedures included remote prompting, remote contingencies involving differential reinforcement plus response cost, and differential reinforcement of nail growth. Limitations of habit reversal for individuals with mental retardation along with directions for future research involving therapist-mediated treatment procedures, particularly those involving remote prompting and remote contingencies, are discussed.  (+info)

Root resorption after orthodontic treatment in high- and low-risk patients: analysis of allergy as a possible predisposing factor. (2/12)

The development of excessive root resorption during orthodontic tooth movement is an adverse side-effect, which is of great concern. The aim of this investigation was to analyse factors that might be associated with orthodontically induced root resorption. After buccal movement of maxillary premolars in 96 adolescents, the experimental teeth were extracted and subjected to histological analysis and measurement of resorbed root area. Fifty individuals, 18 boys and 32 girls, mean age 13.4 years, were selected and divided into two equal groups: the high-risk group based on measurements of the most severe root resorptions, and the low-risk group on measurements of mild or no root resorptions. After a preliminary screening of possible risk factors regarding root resorption, i.e. root morphology, gingivitis, allergy, nail-biting, medication, etc., only those subjects with allergy showed an increased risk of root resorption, but this was not statistically significant.  (+info)

Evaluating the duration of the competing response in habit reversal: a parametric analysis. (3/12)

The effectiveness of habit reversal was compared across three different competing response (CR) durations. Results showed that 1-min and 3-min CR durations were associated with short-term and long-term increases in nail length for people who bit their nails. A 5-s CR duration produced immediate increases in nail length that were not maintained. Social validity data were consistent with these findings.  (+info)

Breast-feeding and deleterious oral habits in mouth and nose breathers. (4/12)

AIM: Breast-feeding promotes several benefits in childhood, among them favoring the nasal breathing. In the present study, the relationship between breathing pattern and the history of breast-feeding and of deleterious oral habits was determined. STUDY DESIGN: clinical with transversal cohort. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study population consisted of 62 children ranging in age from 3 years and 3 months to 6 years and 11 months who were submitted to otorhinolaryngologic evaluation to determine nasal and mouth breathers and to a speech language pathologic interview. The otorhinolaryngologic evaluation involved the following exams: anterior rhinoscopy, oroscopy and radiologic examination. The parents of the children were questioned about the form of feeding (natural and/or artificial), the duration of breast-feeding and the presence of deleterious oral habits (suction and biting). The Fisher exact test was used to compare groups regarding the presence and absence of habits and the different periods of breast-feeding. RESULTS: The breast-feeding period was longer among nasal breathers and was concentrated in the period between 3 and 6 months of age. Regarding the use of bottle, the results showed that most of the children in both groups used this type of feeding during the first years of life, with no significant difference between groups (p=0.58). There was a marked presence of deleterious oral habits among mouth breathers, with a statistically significant difference between groups regarding suction (p=0.004) and biting habits (p=0.0002). CONCLUSION: Mouth breathing children were breast-fed for a shorter period of time and had a history of deleterious oral habits compared to nose breathers.  (+info)

Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders and oral parafunctions in urban Saudi Arabian adolescents: a research report. (5/12)

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and oral parafunction habits among Saudi adolescents in the permanent dentition stage. METHODS: A total of 385 (230 females and 155 males) school children age 12-16, completed a questionnaire and were examined clinically. A stratified selection technique was used for schools allocation. RESULTS: The results showed that 21.3% of the subjects exhibited at least one sign of TMD and females were generally more affected than males. Joint sounds were the most prevalent sign (13.5%) followed by restricted opening (4.7%) and opening deviation (3.9%). The amplitude of mouth opening, overbite taken into consideration, was 46.5 mm and 50.2 mm in females and males respectively. TMJ pain and muscle tenderness were rare (0.5%). Reported symptoms were 33%, headache being the most frequent symptom 22%, followed by pain during chewing 14% and hearing TMJ noises 8.7%. Difficulty during jaw opening and jaw locking were rare. Lip/cheek biting was the most common parafunction habit (41%) with females significantly more than males, followed by nail biting (29%). Bruxism and thumb sucking were only 7.4% and 7.8% respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of TMD signs were 21.3% with joint sounds being the most prevalent sign. While TMD symptoms were found to be 33% as, with headache being the most prevalent. Among the oral parafunctions, lip/cheek biting was the most prevalent 41% followed by nail biting 29%.  (+info)

Onychophagia as a spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorder. (6/12)

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Self-inflicted non-healing genital ulcer: a rare form of factitious disorder. (7/12)

Dermatitis artefacta is a factitious dermatological disorder with many forms of presentation that may occur on any part of the body. A diagnosis of dermatitis artefacta is often reached after rigorous and repeated investigations. Here we present the case of a 49-year-old single man complaining of a 4- month history of ulceration on the dorsal surface of the glans penis. In view of the unusual appearance of the lesion and the negative findings from clinical investigations, a diagnosis of dermatitis artefacta was made and the patient was referred for psychiatric evaluation. He was started on 20 mg/day of citalopram and titrated up to 40 mg/day by the 4th week, leading to complete remission in the following weeks. Thus, although rare, artefactual dermatitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unusual penile lesions.  (+info)

Quality of life evaluation of children with sleep bruxism. (8/12)

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