Rapporti tra dislalie meccaniche periferiche, occlusione ed abitudini viziate.

Since dental malocclusions in chihlren are Oen Mowed by speech disorders, for many years it has been supposed a direct cause-effect relationship between these two conditions. Authors examined a 52 children population between 6 and 12 years of age in order to point out the most frequent disorders regarding language in growing patients and the possible correlation between dento-skeletal pathology and type of dyslalias. The children population was selected considering the presence of morpho-ifitnctional anomalies of the stomatognatic apparatus and the possible presence of bad habits. In addition to the dental examination, patients were subjected to a phonetic test, with the help of a logopaedist, to stress the presence of peripheric tnechanical dyslalias. The number of dyslalias observed in the children group was equal to 34,6% of the total, more frequent in younger children, then decreasing during growth. The only dyslalias which were noticed concerned the incorrect articulation q fthe phonemes "S" and "R", with predominance of sigmatism (66,6%). The percentage of signiati.sat was higher in. second classes with increased overjet. As regards overbite, it scents to exist a correlation between the presence of an open bite and the beginning of sigmatism. It way noticed a close relationship between had habits and signzatism,- the higher percentage was found out in the association with suction habit, above all thumb sucking, followed by infantile swallowing and mouth breathing. The results show that morpho-jitnctional anomalies, as pointed out in the clinical case histories, can cause, maintain or increase sigmatism. Therefore it is essential a close collaboration between paedodontist and logopaedist for the whole period of the small patient's growth