Evaluation of nasal airway resistance in a cohort of children with primary snoring and maxillary deficiency.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to test whether rapid palatal expansion is effective to improve nasal airway patency in a sample of pediatric patients with primary snoring. METHODS: A group of 21 subjects, 11 girls (52%) and 10 boys (48%), with a mean age of 7.1 years (SD=1.3; range 4-9 years) were treated with a rapid maxillary expansion (RME) device. Nasal airway resistance was assessed via rhinomanometric exam before (pre-) and 6 months after (post-) the rapid palatal expansion treatment. RESULTS: Data analysis showed a statistically significant increase in the mean scores of the results of the rhinomanometric exam between the pre- and post-measurements with a significant reduction in total inspiratory and expiratory air resistance values after rapid palatal expansion. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that RME treatment is associated with an improvement in nasal airway resistance due to a substantial reduction in nasal resistance associated with the orthopedic action of the orthodontic device.

Baby Food and Oral Health: Knowledge of the Existing Interaction.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to verify parents' knowledge of child nutrition and their awareness of the interaction between unhealthy sugars in their child's diet and caries formation. METHODS: a questionnaire was proposed using Instagram to analyze type of breastfeeding; type of weaning and diet; home oral hygiene maneuvers; bad habits (use of pacifiers, bottles, and sugary substances); knowledge on the usefulness of fluoride; and first dental visit. A total of 200 parents from different regions of Italy with children aged 2 months to 6 years were contacted. Results showed that 66% parents preferred breastfeeding, while the remaining 34% chose artificial breastfeeding. Fifty percent (100 babies) started weaning at six months, 20% (40 babies) at the fifth month, 13.5% (27 babies) at the fourth month, and only 11.5% (23 babies) in a range from the seventh to ninth month of life. Oral hygiene practices were performed only by 25% of parents before eruption of the first tooth. After eruption of the first tooth, there is greater attention to home oral hygiene practices: 59% of parents carry out and teach their children daily home oral hygiene maneuvers. CONCLUSIONS: it is possible to raise awareness among parents and caregivers on the importance of food education.

The Efficacy of Lingual Laser Frenectomy in Pediatric OSAS: A Randomized Double-Blinded and Controlled Clinical Study.

This randomized, double-blind and controlled clinical trial investigates how a diode laser lingual frenectomy can improve obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in pediatric patients. BACKGROUND: Several authors have shown that a short lingual frenulum causes a reduction in incoming air flow and the relationship between OSAS and a short lingual frenulum. METHODS: Thirty-two pediatric patients were equally randomly divided into a Study Group (SG) and a Control Group (CG). On each SG patient a polysomnography 1 (PSG1) and a lingual frenectomy were performed using a diode laser via Doctor Smile Wiser technology, power 7 W. After three months, a new polysomnography (PSG2) was performed to evaluate the lingual frenectomy efficacy in pediatric patients. The pain was assessed by a numerical rating scale (NRS) before and after surgery. The CG followed the same protocol without a lingual frenectomy but myofunctional and speech therapy were conducted to qualitatively and quantitatively improve the lingual functionality. In the SG, eight subjects (50%) had severe OSAS and eight had moderate (50%) while in the CG, three subjects had severe OSAS (18.8%) and thirteen had moderate (81.2%). RESULTS: In the SG, 93.8% were classified as mild OSAS and 6.2% as moderate. In contrast, in the CG, 18.75% were classified as mild OSAS, 62.5% as moderate and 18.75% as severe. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates how a lingual laser frenectomy can improve OSAS in pediatric patients.