Correlation of Body Posture with tongue position and its influence on developing dental malocclusion in children: An observational study.

Tongue posture plays a crucial role in oral function and craniofacial development. A habitual tongue thrust or low tongue posture at rest can exert pressure on the teeth, leading to dental crowding, open bites, or other malocclusions. Sustaining general musculoskeletal health requires maintaining proper body posture. The mandible’s position and the tongue’s resting place can both be impacted by poor body posture, such as forward head posture. These alterations may, in turn, impact the development of dental malocclusion by exerting abnormal forces on the teeth and supporting structures. The relationship between tongue position and  dental occlusion is complex and multifactorial, involving neuromuscular coordination and oral habits developed during childhood.

Need of the study- By evaluating how postural deviations and tongue position impact children’s dental occlusion and craniofacial development, the current study can offer early interventions and preventive measures intended at encouraging optimal oral health outcomes.

Aim- To evaluate the correlation between body posture with tongue position and its influence on developing dental malocclusion in pediatric patients.

Materials and methods- This study will be conducted in Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry at Sharad Pawar Dental College, Wardha, Maharashtra, India. Children who exhibit tongue thrust between the age range of 6 and 12 will be included in the study. Those with a history of upper or lower limb surgery, patients with history of hospitalization/intubation, severe trauma that altered their baseline posture, prior orthodontic treatment, systemic diseases, or a refusal to participate in follow-up visits and assessments (parents and children) will be excluded from this study. The participants will undergo evaluation for abnormal tongue position, and an analysis will be done based on the New York Posture Rating Scale and Foot Posture Index. The Chi-square test and correlation analysis will be used for statistical analysis.