Ovsenik Maja, Farcnik Franc Marjan, Korpar Majda, Verdenik Ivan
Department of Orthodontics, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija.
Eur J Orthod. 2007 Oct;29(5):523-9. doi: 10.1093/ejo/cjm065.
The aim of this study was to evaluate morphological and functional malocclusion trait changes in 3- to 12-year-old children and to determine whether such functional traits at the 3, 4, and 5 years of age correlated with malocclusion severity score at 12 years of age. Two hundred and sixty-seven children (132 boys, 135 girls) were randomly selected for a follow-up study from a previous cohort of 560 subjects. Functional and morphological traits were clinically assessed. Five functional malocclusion traits: mouth breathing, atypical swallowing, thumb, pacifier sucking, and bottle feeding were assessed and evaluated. Intra-arch assessment involved measurements of incisor crowding, rotation of incisors, and axial inclination of the teeth. For inter-arch measurements, overbite, anterior open bite, overjet, reverse overjet, anterior crossbite, and buccal segment relationships were recorded. The weighted sum of recorded occlusal traits thus represented the total malocclusion severity score. The median morphological malocclusion severity score was almost the same at 3 and 12 years of age, while functional malocclusion decreased. Sucking habits (finger- or dummy-sucking, bottle feeding) until 5 years of age were statistically significantly correlated with an atypical swallowing pattern from 6 to 9 years (Spearman r = 0.178, P = 0.017), which in turn was statistically significantly correlated with the morphological malocclusion severity score (Spearman r = 0.185, P = 0.042) at 12 years of age. At an early age, the morphological severity score is related to the stage of dental development, while at a later period, malocclusion severity score is also the result of incorrect orofacial functions at an early stage of dental development.
本研究的目的是评估3至12岁儿童形态和功能错牙合特征的变化，并确定3岁、4岁和5岁时的这些功能特征是否与12岁时的错牙合严重程度评分相关。从先前的560名受试者队列中随机选取267名儿童（132名男孩，135名女孩）进行随访研究。对功能和形态特征进行临床评估。评估了五项功能性错牙合特征：口呼吸、异常吞咽、吮拇指、使用安抚奶嘴和奶瓶喂养。牙弓内评估包括测量切牙拥挤度、切牙旋转度和牙齿轴向倾斜度。对于牙弓间测量，记录了覆牙合、前牙开牙合、覆盖、反覆盖、前牙反牙合和颊段关系。记录的咬合特征的加权总和代表总的错牙合严重程度评分。3岁和12岁时形态性错牙合严重程度评分中位数几乎相同，而功能性错牙合有所下降。5岁前的吮指习惯（吮手指或使用安抚奶嘴、奶瓶喂养）与6至9岁时的异常吞咽模式在统计学上显著相关（Spearman相关系数r = 0.178，P = 0.017），而后者又与12岁时的形态性错牙合严重程度评分在统计学上显著相关（Spearman相关系数r = 0.185，P = 0.042）。在早期，形态严重程度评分与牙齿发育阶段有关，而在后期，错牙合严重程度评分也是牙齿发育早期口面部功能不正确的结果。
