Maximum mouth opening in saudi adolescents

Area of Science:

• Oral health
• Anthropometry
• Adolescent health

Background:

• Maximum mouth opening (MMO) is a key indicator of oral health.
• Understanding MMO variations in adolescents is crucial for growth assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the maximum mouth opening (MMO) in a Saudi adolescent population.
• To analyze MMO differences based on gender and age groups.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1825 Saudi adolescents (12-16 years).
• Maximal mouth opening was measured from incisal edges.
• Data analyzed using SPSS, employing t-tests and ANOVA.

Main Results:

• Mean MMO for males was 43.5 mm; for females, it was 35.5 mm.
• Significant gender-based differences in MMO were observed across all age groups (P=0.000).
• MMO increased significantly with age up to 14 years, then stabilized.

Conclusions:

• Male Saudi adolescents exhibit significantly larger MMO than their female counterparts.
• Age-related increases in MMO are evident up to 14 years in this population.