Evolution of Orofacial and Masticatory Function During Rehabilitation in Children with Various Oral Health Conditions

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how chewing function changes during oral rehabilitation in children aged 3 to 17 with different types of oral health problems. The study aims to understand how chewing ability, muscle activity, and behavior evolve, and how these relate to oral health issues, eating habits, and children's height and weight. This research is conducted at a special care dental unit and focuses on improving guidelines for pediatric dental rehabilitation. Children in the study receive dental treatments such as conservative care, orthodontics, prosthetics, or surgery as part of their usual care. They are grouped based on their oral health condition: early childhood caries treated under anesthesia, orofacial dysmorphologies needing orthodontic or functional treatment, dental abnormalities requiring various dental procedures, and those with healthy oral status during routine check-ups. These treatments and follow-ups occur regularly every six months over a five-year period. Participants undergo examinations every six months that include clinical oral health checks, weight and height measurements, and assessments of orofacial function and quality of life through questionnaires. Chewing tests with different foods and muscle activity recordings are performed to evaluate chewing performance. Researchers analyze particle size of chewed food and correlate chewing parameters with oral health, quality of life, eating behavior, and growth over time. The total participation lasts five years per child.

Orofacial Functions and Masticatory Function in Children With Different Types of Deterioration in Oral Health