Abstract
AIM: To study the effect of dental stages on orofacial muscle strength and masticatory and swallowing function in healthy children. METHODS: A total of 120 children were recruited and divided into 6 groups according to Hellman's criteria for dental stages: primary, early mixed (IIC), early mixed (IIIA), late mixed, early permanent and late permanent. Each group underwent a series of tests to measure their orofacial muscle strength and masticatory and swallowing function. The data was analysed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc tests to adjust for multiple comparisons between successive dental stages. RESULTS: The results of the study showed a gradual increase in orofacial muscle strength and improved masticatory and swallowing function with advancing dental stage. Specifically, significant differences between successive dental stages were shown in the maximum voluntary bite force between dental stages primary and early mixed (IIC), and between the early and late permanent, and in the tongue pressure between the primary and early mixed (IIC), and between the early mixed (IIIA) and late mixed. Additionally, in the test of masticating and swallowing solids, there were significant differences between dental stages primary and early mixed (IIC) in the number of chewing cycles, and between early (IIIA) and late mixed in the total eating duration. CONCLUSION: Overall, there was a gradual improvement in orofacial muscle strength with more developed dental stages in healthy children. The results of the study imply that the advancement of dental stages plays an important role in the development of orofacial muscle strength and improved masticatory and swallowing functions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings suggest potential implications for monitoring the development of oral motor behaviours in growing children across different dental stages. The comprehensive battery of objective clinical tests applied in this study provides a valuable clinical framework for evaluating oral function.