Masticatory Efficiency in Orthodontic Patients with Craniofacial Disorder

Abstract

This study evaluates the masticatory efficiency in patients with craniofacial disorders (CD) compared to controls (C). A total of 119 participants (7–21 years), divided into CD group (n = 42, mean age 13.45 ± 5.2 years) and C group (n = 77, mean age 14.3 ± 3.27 years) under an orthodontic treatment were included. Masticatory efficiency was assessed using a standard food model test. The masticated food was examined according to its number of particles (n) and area (mm2), wherein a higher number of particles alongside a smaller area was an indication of better masticatory efficiency. Additionally, the influence of cleft formation, chewing side, dentition stage, age and sex were evaluated. Patients with CD chewed the standardized food in fewer particles (nCD = 61.76 vs. nC = 84.58), with a significantly higher amount of area than the controls (ACD = 192.91 mm2 vs. AC = 146.84 mm2; p = 0.04). In conclusion, patients with CD showed a significantly decreased mastication efficiency compared to healthy patients. Factors such as stage of cleft formation, chewing side, dentition stage and age showed an influence on masticatory efficiency, whereas no gender effect on the masticatory efficiency of CD patients was found.

Influence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment in the masticatory efficiency of patients with craniofacial disorders

“…Concerning the effect of age on mastication, the MEI of younger orthodontic patients with CD showed a significantly decreased masticatory ability compared to those without, which is in contrast to Schmidt et al, where differences were significant only for older CD subjects [ 35 ]. Thus, it can be assumed that by merging both parameters into one index, the significance of one parameter does not influence that of the index overall.…”

“…This is the first study using the MEI to summarize the obtained values of particle number and area of the masticated food samples. The statistical evaluation and subsequent interpretation of these two aspects were found to be challenging in the study by Schmidt et al [ 35 ]. This term was introduced to enhance the ease of evaluating results, as well as to improve their feasibility and comparability.…”

“…The influence of diverse aspects like malocclusion on masticatory efficiency has been extensively described in healthy subjects [ 16 , 27 , 33 , 34 ], while little is known about it in patients with CD. A previous study evaluated parameters like type of CD, cleft formation, chewing side, dentition stage, age, and sex, where an influence of all these parameters on masticatory efficiency was found in CD patients [ 35 ]. However, it is also possible that a reduction in mastication efficiency is not only associated with the presence of CD, but rather due to malocclusion in combination with orthodontic treatment.…”

Funções Orofaciais nos Diferentes Tipos de Fissura Labiopalatina

“…Os distúrbios oclusais mais comuns em indivíduos com FLP são mordida cruzada e má oclusão de classe III, o que implica em alterações funcionais orofaciais 63 . Nesse sentido, estudos incluídos nesta revisão demonstraram prejuízos na mastigação, mas sem concluir diferenças no impacto desta função com os tipos de fissura [12][13][14] .…”

“…Já em indivíduos com FLP, são encontradas alterações na função mastigatória, dificuldades na mastigação de alimentos sólidos, resultando, inclusive, em preferência por alimentos moles [11][12] . Além disso, na presença de FLP, podese observar ciclos mastigatórios mais longos e em maior quantidade, menor velocidade mastigatória, maior ativação dos músculos masseter e temporal em repouso, com maior índice de assimetria em ambos os músculos, assim como atividade desarmônica dos mesmos durante os movimentos mandibulares [13][14] .…”