Nutrition of children undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances

Abstract

To evaluate the actual nutrition of children receiving orthodontic treatment with bracket systems, to develop recommendations for its correction. Nutrition composition was assessed using a software analyzing the frequency of food consumption. Two groups of children were distinguished: the main group (without dentoalveolar anomalies) and the comparison group (with bracket systems). The total sample size was 58 adolescents. It was found that in schoolchildren receiving orthodontic treatment the imbalance in the intake of macro- and micronutrients with diets is much higher than in schoolchildren of the main group. In the daily diet of the main group of children, adequate adequate energy value was noted (94.6% of the physiological requirements), in contrast to schoolchildren in the comparison group (76.7%). Diets in children of the main group are deficient in the content of total protein (90.1%) and carbohydrates (86.4%), and excess in fats (112.2%). In the comparison group, the intake of macronutrients with food averaged 77.7% of the norm. The limited use of certain foods in children with bracket systems has led to a significant deficit in diets of meat (70.0% of the recommended level of consumption), fish and seafood (37.6%), eggs (55.0%), bakery products (44.9%), potatoes (78.7%), vegetables (66.0%), fruits (51.6%). The installation of bracket systems for orthodontic treatment is necessary to eliminate dentoalveolar anomalies in children, but it becomes both a risk factor for the formation of nutritional disorders in patients and a risk factor for tooth enamel demineralization. Therefore, it is necessary to develop recommendations for correcting the nutrition of children during the period of orthodontic treatment.