Factors related to mouth-breathing syndrome and the influence of an incompetent lip seal on facial soft tissue form in children

Lip and facial training improves lip-closing strength and facial morphology

OBJECTIVE

Childhood is an important period for lip-closing strength (LCS) development, and failure to acquire LCS during childhood leads to various adverse health effects, such as mouth breathing. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of device-free lip and facial training in preschool children.

DESIGN

The participants were divided into training and control groups. Both groups comprised 123 children aged 3-4 years, and only the training group received lip and facial training (i.e., opening and closing the lips and protruding the tongue) for 1 year. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was applied to compare the interaction effects of LCS and facial linear distance and angle by year (initial year vs. 1 year later) and group (training vs. control group). In addition, paired t-tests were used to test the changes in LCS and facial linear distance and angle after 1 year in both groups. Furthermore, the same analysis was performed in children with weak LCS in both groups (incompetent lip seal [ILS]).

RESULTS

The LCS of children in the training group significantly increased after training compared with that in the control group, whether the analysis included all children or children with ILS alone. Lip and facial training for children with ILS reduced both the upper and lower lip protrusion; children with ILS without training had increased lip protrusion after 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

Lip and facial training for children with ILS effectively improved LCS and lip morphology, thereby preventing increased lip protrusion.

Influence of Nonnutritive Sucking Habits on the Oral Carriage of Escherichia coli

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of nonnutritive sucking habits on the presence of oral Escherichia coli.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty children aged 3-5 years old were enrolled in the present case-control study, as follows: 60 children with continuous pacifier and thumb sucking habits (study group) and 60 children without any sucking habits (control group). The children in the two groups were matched in terms of age and gender. Information was gathered from the parents concerning their children using a special sheet. Sterile swabs were taken from both groups and cultured on agar plates. Then, they were subjected to further biochemical tests to identify E. coli species. The mean of the E. coli count was determined for each child. Descriptive, independent t-test and chi-square test statistics were used. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

The presence of nonnutritive sucking habits was related to a higher carriage of E. coli among children.

CONCLUSION

Nonnutritive sucking habits may act as a predisposing factor that enhances the colonization of oral E. coli.