Prevalence of atypical swallowing: a kinesiographic study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of kinesiographic coincidence between the most cranial position during deglutition of mandible and habitual occlusal position and to evaluate the distribution of clinical diagnosis according to the kinesiographic pattern of deglutition.


METHODS
201 random patients in waiting list for dental treatment and classified as orthodontic patients, prosthetic patients, TMD patients and control patients, were evaluated. Kinesiographic records were acquired using K7I and positioning a magnetic sensor frame integral with the head and with the sensory field balanced on an artificial magnet adhering to the mucosa covering the roots of the lower mandibular incisors. The kinesiographic occlusal position was compared to the kinesiographic most cranial position of the mandible during swallowing.


RESULTS
99 patients displayed a discrepancy between the most cranial position during swallowing and the occlusal position. 102 patients did not show any discrepancy. In this group the kinesiographic most cranial position during swallowing coincided with the occlusal position.


CONCLUSIONS
The finding suggests that computerised kinesiography could be useful to study deglutition, detecting in a reliable way the movement pattern. Atypical deglutition seems to be less atypical than previously though in dental patient population and, despite these data confirm its correlation with malocclusion, we noted an inverse correlation with necessity of prosthetic treatment and no higher prevalence in TMD patients.
Monaco
A
A
School of Dentistry, University of L'Aquila, Italy. annalisamonaco@yahoo.it
Cattaneo
R
R
Spadaro
A
A
Marchetti
E
E
Barone
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009213:Myography / Q000379:methods; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*