Abstract

BERWIG, Luana Cristina et al. Alterations in breathing mode, occlusion and speech in school-age children: occurrences and relationships. Rev. CEFAC [online]. 2010, vol.12, n.5, pp. 795-802.  Epub Apr 23, 2010. ISSN 1516-1846.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-18462010005000094.

PURPOSE: to check the occurrence of articulation disorders, alterations in breathing mode and malocclusion as well as the relation among theses variables in public-school children. METHODS: 308 female and male children aged between 6 and 11 years were submitted to speech pathologic and orthodontic evaluations, being selected 235. From the information collected in the evaluations, we considered: breathing mode, malocclusion by Angle's classification and transverse alterations, as well as articulation disorder. RESULTS: 60.43% children had presented breathing mode alterations; 97.02% Angle malocclusion; 28.94% transverse occlusion alterations and 14.89% articulation disorder. Statistically significant relations were found between articulation disorder and transverse occlusion alterations, breathing mode and Angle malocclusion and between Angle malocclusion and transverse occlusion alterations. CONCLUSION: the malocclusions and alterations referring to breathing mode were frequent in the studied group. The found relationships reinforce the idea that there is a narrow relationship between the structure and the function of the stomatognathic system, and for that reason they deserve attention from several health professionals.

Keywords : Articulation Disorders; Mouth Breathing; Malocclusion; Stomatognathic System; Children.