Center of Excellence in Genomics and Precision Dentistry, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
Clinical Research Center, Faculty of Dentistry, Graduate Program in Geriatric and Special Patients Care, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
BMC Oral Health. 2024 Jul 8;24(1):767. doi: 10.1186/s12903-024-04540-y.
Craniosynostosis (CS), premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, leads to abnormal skull development, impacting both facial esthetics and oral function. This study aimed to evaluate the specific orofacial and oral health characteristics, including masticatory performance, in Thai patients with CS.
A comparative study was conducted with Thai CS patients aged 6-17 years and a control group of healthy individuals with similar age distribution. Assessments included craniofacial morphology, oral health status, and masticatory performance. Intergroup comparisons utilized appropriate statistical tests.
The study included 24 CS patients with a mean age of 10.11 ± 2.98 years and 30 controls. CS patients exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of various oral conditions compared to controls: cleft palate (20.8%), anterior open bite (41.7%), anterior crossbite (54.2%), posterior crossbite (50%), combined anterior-posterior crossbite (45.8%), dental crowding in both maxilla and mandible (50% and 45.8% respectively), congenitally missing teeth (50%), supernumerary teeth (12.5%), and eruption failure (54.2%). Furthermore, CS patients exhibited significantly higher caries prevalence and susceptibility, alongside poorer oral hygiene, compared to controls. Regarding jaw relationships, CS patients exhibited a significantly higher proportion of Angle's Class III malocclusion (50%) compared to the control group, where Class I malocclusion was predominant (50%). Masticatory performance, assessed using the two-color gum mixing ability test, showed significantly higher hue variance in CS patients (0.12 ± 0.07) compared to the control group, indicating reduced chewing performance.
This study underscores the significant orofacial and oral health challenges faced by children with CS, including a high prevalence of malocclusions, dental anomalies, elevated caries experience, and compromised masticatory function. These findings emphasize the importance of tailored interventions and comprehensive oral healthcare strategies to address the unique needs of this population and improve their overall quality of life.
颅缝早闭（CS）是颅骨一条或多条骨缝过早融合，导致颅骨发育异常，影响面部美观和口腔功能。本研究旨在评估泰国 CS 患者的特定口面和口腔健康特征，包括咀嚼功能。
对 6-17 岁的泰国 CS 患者和年龄分布相似的健康对照组进行了比较研究。评估包括颅面形态、口腔健康状况和咀嚼功能。使用适当的统计检验进行组间比较。
本研究包括 24 例 CS 患者，平均年龄为 10.11 ± 2.98 岁，30 例对照组。CS 患者比对照组有更多的口腔状况：腭裂（20.8%）、前开颌（41.7%）、前牙反颌（54.2%）、后牙反颌（50%）、前、后牙反颌（45.8%）、上颌和下颌牙齿拥挤（分别为 50%和 45.8%）、先天性缺牙（50%）、多生牙（12.5%）、萌出失败（54.2%）。此外，CS 患者的龋齿患病率和易感性较高，口腔卫生较差。关于颌骨关系，CS 患者的安氏 III 类错颌（50%）明显高于对照组（50%），对照组以安氏 I 类错颌为主（50%）。使用双色口香糖混合能力试验评估咀嚼功能，CS 患者的色调方差明显高于对照组（0.12 ± 0.07），表明咀嚼功能下降。
本研究强调了 CS 儿童面临的显著口面和口腔健康挑战，包括错颌畸形、牙齿异常、龋齿发生率高、咀嚼功能受损等。这些发现强调了针对这一人群的个性化干预和全面口腔保健策略的重要性，以满足他们的特殊需求，提高他们的整体生活质量。
