The effects of infant feeding patterns on the occlusion of the primary dentition.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different methods of infant feeding on the development of the occlusion in the primary dentition. The study included 126 children. Parents completed questionnaires regarding feeding and health history, and the primary dental occlusion was recorded for each child. The authors found that: (1) predominant bottle-feeding between 0 and 6 months of age was associated with the development of a pacifier habit; (2) children who used a pacifier were more likely to develop a nonmesial step occlusion, an overjet >3 mm, and an open bite; (3) children who sucked their thumb were more likely to develop an overjet >3 mm; and (4) in the absence ofnonnutritive oral habits, children who were predominantly bottle-fed between 0 and 6 months of age were more likely to develop an overbite >75%, although just shy of nominal statistical significance.