ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to characterize the orofacial myofunctional profile of children and adolescents with obesity compared to a group of eutrophic and check which aspects influence the functions of chewing and swallowing.
Methods:
they checked the organs of the Stomatognathic system, chewing and swallowing by applying the Myofunctional Assessment Protocol Orofacial with Expanded Scores (AMIOFE-E) in 50 female and male individuals, aged between 9 and 18 years, met in an outpatient of Nutrology. They were divided into two groups, the research group, obese group, and the control group, of eutrophic people. The statistical tests used were: analysis of variance (ANOVA), Fisher's exact Test, confidence interval for mean and coefficient of Variation.
Results:
the obese people, when compared to eutrophic people, showed worse performance in tonicity and mobility aspects of cheeks and swallowing (p < 0.05), and 71% of individuals with tonicity reduction presented multiple swallows against 25% of eutrophic individuals. In addition, 68% of obese children and adolescents from that research showed alternating bilateral chewing.
Conclusion:
the obese children and adolescents studied in this research presented a higher occurrence of orofacial myofunctional changes when compared to eutrophic people in relation to tonicity and mobility of cheeks and swallowing. In this research, there was also a statistical association between the reduction of obese children and adolescents ´s cheeks tonicity and the presence of multiple swallows during swallowing.
Keywords:
Chewing; Obesity; Child; Adolescent
