Abstract
Previous studies have shown a strong correlation between orthodontic and speech disorders. Childhood oral habits may significantly influence the development and maintenance of these anomalies. As no Hungarian data has yet been published on the subject, our aim was to analyse the relationship between malocclusion, oral habits and associated speech disorders in the primary dentition.
Methods: The study group consisted of 271 children aged 4-7 who were recruited in connection with their annual kindergarten dental examination in the city of Debrecen. Parents were informed about the purpose and progress of the research. The study protocol was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Clinical Research of the University of Debrecen. The clinical examination consisted of dental and orthodontic screening according to WHO and the Angle orthodontic diagnostic system. Local orthodontic anomalies were also recorded. A speech therapist recorded articulation disturbances and oral parafunctional habits. Data presentation and statistical analysis were performed with SPSS statistical package. Chi-square test was used to analyse the qualitative data, correlations were evaluated by Pearson Correlation and Cluster Combine analysis. The level of significance was 0.05.
Results: An orthodontic anomaly was found in 11.8% (n = 32) of the children. The speech therapist found articulation disorders in more than one third of the cases (36.2%, n = 98) and 119 children (43.9%) were found to have existing parafunctions. Parafunction associated articulation disorders were significantly more common (p = 0.005) than articulation problems alone.
Conclusion: The frequent occurrence of parafunction and orthodontic disorders associated with speech disorders emphasize the importance of regular and complex (dental, orthodontic and speech) screening. Early diagnosis may help with effective treatment.
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