Bertrand J, Hoste S, Carels C E L
Uit de afdeling Orthodontie van de School voor Tandheelkunde, Mondziekten en Maxillo-Faciale Chirurgie, Faculteit der Geneeskunde, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgïe.
Ned Tijdschr Tandheelkd. 2008 Jul;115(7):388-93.
In dentistry 3 aspects may lead to an improvement in the quality of life: pain reduction, aesthetic adjustments, and improvement of masticatory performance. Only the improvement of masticatory performance can be assessed objectively. Althougn orthodontists often claim that they improve masticatory performance, they seldom initiate treatment on the basis of functional limitations. Patients also often express the expectation that orthodontic treatment will improve their oral functions. Chewing is dependent on various anatomical, physiological and physical factors. The combination of all of these factors can reduce food particles to a greater or lesser extent. The magnitude of food reduction is known as masticatory performance. The masticatory performance is related to quality of life since it influences food selection, the quality of digestion, and the experience or enjoyment of eating. The smaller food particles are the easier will be the subsequent enzymatic food digestion during the later phases of digestion. Because it is clear that malocclusions cause functional limitations, it is concluded that orthodontists should integrate functional goals in their treatments in order to improve the quality of life of their patients.
在牙科领域，有三个方面可能会改善生活质量：减轻疼痛、美学调整以及改善咀嚼功能。只有咀嚼功能的改善能够得到客观评估。尽管正畸医生常常声称他们能改善咀嚼功能，但他们很少基于功能受限来开展治疗。患者也常常期望正畸治疗能改善他们的口腔功能。咀嚼取决于多种解剖学、生理学和物理因素。所有这些因素的综合作用能在不同程度上减少食物颗粒。食物减少的程度被称为咀嚼功能。咀嚼功能与生活质量相关，因为它会影响食物选择、消化质量以及进食的体验或乐趣。食物颗粒越小，在消化后期随后的酶促食物消化就越容易。由于错牙合畸形会导致功能受限这一点很明确，所以得出结论：正畸医生应在治疗中纳入功能目标，以提高患者的生活质量。
