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Published on: October 2, 2019
Salivary Biomarker Levels in Children with Sleep Problems Before and After Twin Block Therapy
Trupti Balasaheb Bhosale1, Vabitha Shetty
1Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Nitte (Deemed to be University), AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
Insights
Twin block therapy for children with class II malocclusion and sleep problems significantly reduced salivary Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. This suggests a potential noninvasive method for assessing treatment outcomes in sleep-disordered breathing.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Orthodontics
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Sleep disturbances significantly impact children's quality of life.
- Class II malocclusion is often associated with sleep problems.
- Salivary biomarkers like TNF-α and MDA may indicate underlying inflammation and oxidative stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate salivary Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in children with class II malocclusion and sleep issues.
- To evaluate the effect of twin block appliance therapy on these salivary biomarkers.
Main Methods:
- Eleven children (8-12 years) with skeletal class II malocclusion and sleep disorders were included.
- Salivary TNF-α and MDA levels were measured before and after 9 months of twin block therapy.
- Sleep history, clinical, and radiographic examinations were performed.
Main Results:
- A significant decrease in salivary TNF-α and MDA levels was observed post-treatment.
- Myofunctional therapy with the twin block appliance demonstrated a positive impact on the measured biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- Salivary TNF-α and MDA levels can serve as noninvasive indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of twin block therapy.
- This approach may help assess prognosis for children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) undergoing orthodontic treatment.
Background:
Disturbances in sleep have a wide-ranging effect on a child's life profoundly impacting the standard of living. The aim of this study was to investigate levels of Salivary Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) in a group of children with class II malocclusion and sleep problems before and after twin block appliance therapy.
Materials And Methods:
Eleven children aged 8-12 years with skeletal class II malocclusion and at least one sleep disorder participated in the study. All children were subjected to a recording of their sleep history and a clinical and radiographic examination. Pre-treatment levels of salivary TNF-α and MDA were recorded. A twin block appliance was custom made and delivered to every child. After a minimum follow-up period of 9 months, all children were recalled for a re-evaluation of salivary biomarker levels.
Results:
Levels of salivary biomarkers TNF-α and MDA significantly decreased in children following myofunctional therapy using a twin block appliance.
Conclusion:
The measurement of TNF-α and MDA could be used as an alternative and noninvasive method to evaluate prognosis of twin block therapy for children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).

