MACROGLOSSIA: SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, METHODS OF DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT, INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF DENTOGNATHIC DEFORMATIONS

Abstract

The tongue is a powerful muscular organ that significantly affects the development of the dentognathic apparatus. Macroglossia is an enlarged or abnormally large tongue. Studying the anatomical and functional characteristics of 

the tongue is a prognostic indicator of effective orthodontic treatment. Purpose of the study. To conduct an analysis of specialized scientific literature to summarize data on the causes, signs, symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatment of macroglossia and its impact on the formation of dentognathic deformations. Research materials and methods. The article analyzes and studies modern scientific domestic and foreign literature of recent years (PubMed), which highlights the issues of the occurrence, signs, symptoms, treatment methods of macroglossia and its influence on the formation of dentognathic deformations. Results and their discussion. An enlarged and/or elongated, wide, flat tongue indicates macroglossia. Tongue enlargement is most often observed with open and mesial occlusion. Macroglossia is usually diagnosed clinically and confirmed by additional diagnostic methods. Cases of long-term treatment of patients with macroglossia have been described, which involves a multidisciplinary personalized approach. Orthodontic treatment of patients is carried out taking into account the characteristics of the pathological occlusion. The results of most publications are reduced to the description of one or more clinical cases. Fundamental works with retrospective analysis of orthodontic treatment of macroglossia, which address global issues of the influence of the size, shape, position of the tongue and their cause-and-effect relationships with certain dentognathic deformations, are absent. There are also few works that highlight the determination of indicators of the force of pressure of the tongue on the surrounding tissues of the dentofacial apparatus, correlations between the volume of the tongue, the oral cavity, and their relationship. Conclusions. The issues of treating patients with dentognathic deformations with anatomical and functional disorders of the tongue are in close causal relationship, therefore, require a multidisciplinary approach to solving them. Systematization of the causes of the impact of macroglossia on the dentognathic apparatus and the organism as a whole should include clinical and morphological aspects that arise in the embryonal and postembryonal period of human life.