Abstract
The objective of this study is to describe the head posture and postural deviations in individuals with unilateral chewing. The sample was composed of 31 individuals of both sexes aged between 7 and 17 years old, who presented median line deviation and predominant unilateral mastication. The evaluation was made by three professionals (a speech therapist, a physiotherapist and a dentist) through a postural exam, where the patient is placed on a symmetrograph in an erect position: the head in position of repose, eyes fixed on the horizon, arms along the body, and feet physiologically positioned. Each patient was analyzed under frontal, sagittal, and lateral planes, in search for an eventual lateral deviation of the spine. Additionally, the posture was analyzed in photographs and videos, where body movement was recorded. After clinical analyses, a segmenting radiographic study of the spinal column was conducted. Results showed a high prevalence of head rotation towards the chewing side and lateral flexion towards the opposite side. Also, forward head posture (anteroposition) and scoliotic attitude were found. The X-rays confirmed a high prevalence of scoliosis with no association to the chewing side. The data suggest that children and adolescents with unilateral mastication present some postural deviation.
Highlights
The influence of stomatognathic function on body posture was first introduced by Pierre Robin in 1902 [1] when he described the Glossoptosis Syndrome, characterized by symptoms including headaches, scapular waist’s deviations, and even flat feet
Unilateral chewing on the right is associated with the presence of head rotation to the same side (r = 0.788)
The same occurs in the case of unilateral chewing on the left (r = 0.557)
Summary
The influence of stomatognathic function on body posture was first introduced by Pierre Robin in 1902 [1] when he described the Glossoptosis Syndrome, characterized by symptoms including headaches, scapular waist’s deviations, and even flat feet. The Stomatognathic System (SS) is set in motion during the act of chewing that ideally occurs bilaterally and alternately [5,6,7]. Unilateral mastication can cause a unilateral posterior crossbite, which is a broad asymmetric malocclusion characterized by an inverse relationship between the upper and lower vestibular dental cusps in the molar and premolar regions on one side of the dental arch. Studies have related the presence of this sort of asymmetry to occlusal interference, abnormal mandible growth, and asymmetric muscle activity [10, 11]. Other studies have reported that crossbite does not contribute to asymmetric muscle activity during functional tasks [12], nor to a preferred side of chewing [13, 14]
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