Anatomical alterations of the tongue, lips and jaws present in patients with Down syndrome.

Anatomical alterations in tongue, lips and jaws present in patients with Down syndrome. Down
syndrome is a genetic alteration that brings with it certain physical, systemic, functional and
intellectual alterations, including oral and maxillofacial alterations. The objective of the
research was to analyze the prevalence of tongue, lip and maxillary alterations in Down
syndrome patients attending the Dominican Down Syndrome Association. This descriptive,
cross-sectional study included 24 participants, divided into two groups: 12 with Down
syndrome and 12 controls, matched for age and sex, to be compared. Questions were asked
about personal data and medical-dental history, clinical and radiographic examination was
performed, as well as sialometry to measure salivary flow, also extraoral and intraoral
photographs and dental impressions were taken, for later measurements and cephalometric
analysis. The results revealed a high frequency of cleft tongue (89%), macroglossia (56%),
ankyloglossia (56%), tongue protrusion (33%) and everted lips (42%) compared to the control
group. Significant maxillary hypoplasia was also identified according to cephalometric analysis
and measurements taken from study models. The type of clinical macroglossia found was
true, as no case of mandibular hypoplasia was found. Clinical macroglossia showed an
association with other lingual and labial alterations such as cleft tongue, ankyloglossia and
everted lower lip. In addition, hyposalivation was associated with the presence of cleft tongue
in the Down syndrome group.