Background: Obese individuals may have impaired oral sensory functioning and abnormal oral motor function, a consequence of fat deposition in muscles.
Objective: To evaluate the oral motor function in obese individuals.
Material and methods: Three observational cross-sectional studies were performed. In total, 140 participants were evaluated: (1) orofacial myofunctional evaluation (OMES) was performed in 26 obese and 26 control subjects; (2) time taken for suction of 50 ml of water through straws of 3 mm and 6 mm of diameter was measured in 30 obese and 30 control subjects; (3) the oral phase of swallowing of 5 ml moderately thick and 5 ml extremely thick boluses was analysed by videofluoroscopy in 14 obese and 14 control subjects. Obese and non-obese control subjects had body mass index ≥40 kg/m2 and <30 kg/m2 , respectively.
Results: Obese subjects had worse oral myofunctional evaluation scores in posture/appearance (lips, jaw, cheeks, tongue and hard palate), in mobility (lips, tongue, jaw and cheeks) and in breathing, deglutition and mastication functions (p ≤ .020). The OMES total score was 73.5 ± 5.5 in obese and 92.8 ± 3.7 in controls subjects (p < .001). There was no difference between the groups in the time taken for 50 ml of water suction through the 3-mm- or 6-mm-diameter straw. Videofluoroscopic evaluation of the bolus swallowed demonstrated a longer oral preparation time in obese individuals for both boluses (p ≤ .040) and no difference in oral transit time (p ≥ .140).
Conclusion: A moderate change in oral motor function was observed in obese individuals with BMI ≥40 kg/m2 .
Keywords: deglutition; deglutition disorders; obesity; obesity morbid; oral function.
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