Facial Growth Direction in Onycophagia Patients

Abstract

Onycophagia, an ever more frequent habit, affects the direction of facial growth. This paper shows the relationship between the nail biting habit and facial growth direction using Björk-Jarabak’s cephalometric analysis. Data were processed with the SPSS V. 11.5 statistics pack with a one-way chi square test (x2) and a 0.05 level of significance. The results show that the vertical facial growth direction in the subjects of the study was neutral while in the sagittal direction they show a receding lower jaw which may affect both the function and the aesthetic of the stomatognathic system. Onycophagia increases with age and it should receive more attention in medical records by registering not only whether it is present or not but also its frequency, duration, the age of onset and the position of the hand in order to identify the factors affecting the direction of facial growth.