Kei Maeo, Takamasa Kitamura, Wakana Kohira, Yukari Suzuki, Yoshihito Yamakawa, Kimiko Ueda Yamaguchi, Hitomi Ishii, Ryuzo Kanomi and Tomonori Iwasaki : Low Tongue Posture Improvement Effect of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Comprehensive Study of Nasal Ventilation Condition Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Dental Arch Morphology., Orthodontics & Craniofacial Research, 2025.
(Summary)
Oral myofunctional therapy (OMFT) has been proposed as a potential treatment for improving low tongue posture (LTP) and alleviating obstructive sleep apnea. However, its effectiveness remains uncertain. This study aimed to quantify the effects of OMFT on LTP.This study analysed pre- and post-treatment cone-beam computed tomography images from 43 children with LTP treated with rapid maxillary expansion (RME) only (mean age: 9.09 years, no-OMFT group), 46 children with LTP treated with RME plus OMFT (mean age: 9.40 years, OMFT group), and 20 children (mean age: 9.87 years, control group). The primary outcomes measured were intraoral airway volume (an indicator of LTP), nasal airway pressure differences (assessed using computational fluid dynamics), and maxillary dental arch width. Comparisons were made among groups, with the frequency and relationship between these measures investigated.There were no significant differences between OMFT and no-OMFT groups before treatment. Post-treatment, the OMFT group showed significantly smaller intraoral airway volume (0.66 cm3) compared to the no-OMFT group (1.34 cm3). Nasal airway pressure drop was also significantly lower in the OMFT group (44.2 Pa) than in the no-OMFT group (143.3 Pa). The LTP improvement rate was significantly higher in the OMFT group (76.1%) than in the no-OMFT group (51.2%). Similarly, the improvement rate of nasal airway obstruction was significantly higher in the OMFT group than in the no-OMFT group.OMFT improves LTP and nasal airway obstruction. Improvements in nasal airway obstruction by OMFT are likely correlated with the observed improvements in LTP.
Yukari Suzuki, Takamasa Kitamura, Kei Maeo, Kizuki Tomohiro, Noda Mayu, Hitomi Kuramoto, Yuki Akazawa, Ishii Hitomi, Kanomi Ryuzo and Tomonori Iwasaki : MuscleFat Composition Analysis of the Soft Palate in Mouth-breathing Children Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography: A computational fluid dynamics Study, International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 2025.
3.
Kimiko Ueda Yamaguchi, Yuki Akazawa, Takamasa Kitamura, Tomokazu Hasegawa, Yoshihito Yamakawa, 鈴木 結加里, 秋田 理沙, Kei Maeo, 幸平 若菜, Hiroshi Nakagawa and Tomonori Iwasaki : Survey of New Patients with Dysphagia at the Pediatric Dentistry Department of Tokushima University Hospital between 2015 and 2022, The Japanese Journal of Pediatric Dentistry, 62, 2, 39-43, 2024.
(Summary)
<p>The Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Outpatient Clinic provides support for children with delays or abnormalities in feeding and swallowing during their growth period. In this study, 45 children (28 boys and 17 girls) who attended our pediatric dental clinic in the last 7 years and 4 months (from 1 April 2015 to 31 July 2022) were examined at their first visit and the results were tabulated.</p><p>The mean age at first visit was 3 years and 8 months, ranging from 6 months to 11 years and 5 months. Children aged 1 to 3 years accounted for 67% of the total. Twenty-two children were full-term births and 16 were preterm births (including 6 very preterm and 7 extremely preterm). At birth, 25 weighed more than 2,500 g and 19 weighed less than 2,500 g (including 4 less than 1,500 g and 8 less than 1,000 g). Motor development was delayed in 14 children with gross motor development. The most common condition was Down syndrome (11 patients), followed by autism spectrum disorder (7 patients). Fifteen patients were referred from the pediatric department of this hospital. The chief complaints were lack of mastication (14 patients), difficulty in swallowing (8 patients) and difficulty in eating solid food (7 patients). The most common method of feeding was oral intake only (27 patients), followed by oral intake and milk feeding (10 patients), and tube feeding was required in 5 patients. In the future, it is important to continue to provide support for children with feeding and swallowing problems in collaboration with medical, dental and community services, while conveying the importance of attending a medical facility that can provide feeding and swallowing support from an early age.</p>
Yamakawa Yoshihito, Yuki Akazawa, Tomokazu Hasegawa, Takamasa Kitamura, Kei Maeo, Kimiko Ueda Yamaguchi, Fumiya Kano, Takaaki Tsunematsu, Hiroshi Nakagawa, Tomonori Iwasaki and Tsutomu Iwamoto : A case of narrowing of dental pulp cavity on deciduous teeth 10-year-old boy long-term treated by steroid, international association of pediatric dentistry 2025, 22-25, 2025.