Characteristics of Nutrition in Adolescent Patients Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment

Abstract

Background: Organization of healthy and balanced nutrition for children undergoing orthodontic treatment should have a compensatory and preventive focus. Materials and methods: A 24-hour dietary recall was used to assess actual nutrition of 57 adolescents aged 13–14 years divided into two groups: cases wearing orthodontic bracket systems and controls having no dentoalveolar anomalies. A comparative analysis of qualitative and quantitative parameters of the diet was carried out based on current regulatory documents. Results: We observed an imbalance in the intake of macro- and micronutrients in the diets of all adolescents caused by an imbalanced food set and being more pronounced in those undergoing orthodontic treatment. The diet of the controls was noted for an adequate daily calorie intake (94.0 % of the recommended value) as opposed to the case group (78.1 %). The diets in the control group were deficient in total protein (94.6 %) and carbohydrates (89.4 %) but excessive in fats (104.6 %). In the case group, the dietary intake of macronutrients was, on the average, 78.3 % of the norm. Restrictions on consumption of certain foods in the diet of adolescents with braces led to a significant deficiency in meat consumption (66.3 % of the recommended value), fish and seafood (37.6 %), eggs (55.0 %), bakery products (45.6 %), potatoes (80.1 %), fruits (51.6 %), and vegetables (51.0 %). Conclusion: Braces used for orthodontic treatment of dentoalveolar anomalies in some patients become a risk factor for both malnutrition and demineralization of tooth enamel in adolescents. It is therefore necessary to develop recommendations for healthy nutrition of pediatric patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.