Improvement of lip closure strength cures its masticatory motion

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K11802
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Orthodontics/Pediatric dentistry
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Hayasaki Haruaki 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (60238095)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 岩崎 智憲 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域歯学系, 准教授 (10264433) ; 山崎 要一 鹿児島大学, 医歯学域歯学系, 教授 (30200645) ; 齊藤 一誠 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 准教授 (90404540) ; 中村 由紀 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 助教 (70452779) ; 齊藤 正人 北海道医療大学, 歯学部, 教授 (50337036)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 口唇閉鎖 / 小児 / 口腔機能 / 咀嚼 / 不正咬合

Outline of Final Research Achievements

T he improvement of the oral function was observed by performing training to improve the lip closure strength in children with deep overbite, anterior crossbite, crowding, open bite, and maxillary protrusion. However, anterior crossbite and open bite gave priority to improvement of the removal the oral habits, including the weak lip closure strength, it was effective to perform training of the lip closure strength at first. Consequently, the improvement of the lip closure strength normalized the chewing motion.
The results of our study provides basic information concerning oral health promotion during childhood.

Free Research Field

小児歯科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

口が「ぽかん」と開いている口唇閉鎖力が低下している小児は，不正咬合（過蓋咬合，反対咬合，開咬，上顎前突など）を招くことが多い．このような不正咬合は将来的に咬むことや話す，と言った口の機能を損なうことになる．この口唇閉鎖力を小児期に改善することは，不正咬合の改善につながるとともに，口の機能を正常に導ける可能性が示唆された．
この研究結果は，哺乳期から生じうる口唇閉鎖力の低下について診断し，介入するかを考える礎になろう．