CHANGES IN FUNCTION OF THE MASTICATORY SYSTEM FROM 7 TO 10 YEARS OF AGE IN RELATION TO ARTICULATORY SPEECH DISORDERS

The aim of the present study was to determine changes in function of t he masticatory system in children with articulatory speech disorders a nd in the controls by re-examining a sample of 287 previously studied children from 7 to 10 years of age. Articulatory speech disorders were diagnosed by the same speech therapist during spontaneous speech and test words using the Remes Articulation Test. Mandibular movement capa city, occlusal interferences, slide between retruded and intercuspal p ositions, and signs and symptoms of the craniomandibular disorders (CM D) were recorded by a dentist. The follow-up results showed that mandi bular movement capacity increased in almost all individuals, decreasin g only in about 10% of cases. However, among children with speech diso rders lateral jaw movements decreased in about 30% of subjects. During growth the prevalence of CMD increased while single signs and symptom s fluctuated. Differences between the groups for expression of CMD, ma ndibular movement capacity and occlusal recordings mainly levelled off . Higher constancy of subjective symptoms and retrusive interferences in children with speech disorders than in the controls supports our pr evious findings that, in growing individuals, different orofacial dysf unctions seem to be associated with each other.