Comprehensive Treatment of Patients with Chronic Catarrhal Gingivitis Living in Environmentally Unfavorable Conditions

Mariana Pavlyshyn; Mykola Rozhko; Nataliia Makhlynets; Vitalii Yatsynovych

doi:10.33295/1992-576X-2026-1-C1

Authors

Mariana Pavlyshyn Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5956-3858
Mykola Rozhko Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6876-2533
Nataliia Makhlynets Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1199-8086
Vitalii Yatsynovych Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2702-1066

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33295/1992-576X-2026-1-C1

Keywords:

stress, environmentally unfavorable conditions, cytomorphometry, breathing pattern, atypical swallowing, Froggy Mouth appliance

Abstract

Background: Chronic catarrhal gingivitis (CCG) in children is influenced by environmental pollution, psycho-emotional stress, and functional impairments in breathing and swallowing. These factors contribute to persistent inflammation and impaired oral hygiene.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive therapy—including professional oral hygiene, local treatment, and labial-myofunctional rehabilitation using the Froggy Mouth appliance—on periodontal health, breathing patterns, and swallowing function in children living in environmentally unfavorable conditions.
Materials and Methods: A total of 120 children aged 12–15 years with CCG were examined and divided into four groups based on their residential environment and treatment protocol. Functional breathing assessment, evaluation of atypical swallowing, and cytomorphometric analysis of periodontal tissues were performed at baseline and during follow-up. Labial-myofunctional therapy using the Froggy Mouth appliance was implemented following adenoidectomy. Local pharmacological therapy was administered according to group assignments.
Results: Children residing in environmentally unfavorable regions exhibited higher levels of psycho-emotional stress, poor oral hygiene, and more pronounced cytomorphometric indicators of periodontal inflammation. Functional disorders, including mouth breathing and atypical swallowing, were closely associated with II and IV occlusal patterns. Comprehensive therapy led to a progressive normalization of cytomorphometric parameters and the restoration of functional swallowing skills within a 20–25 week period.
Conclusions: CCG in children is significantly exacerbated by stress and environmental factors. Effective management requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating dental care, ENT intervention, and myofunctional therapy. The Froggy Mouth appliance proved highly effective in restoring swallowing function and improving periodontal health in high-risk pediatric populations.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Haejin Kim, & Jonathan A Bernstein. (2009). Air pollution and allergic diseases. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep, 9(2), 128–33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-009-0019-0.

Michael E. W. Varnum, & Ryan Scott Hampton. (2018). Cultural changes in neural structure and function, OSF, 3, 1–22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/52eg3.

Rudy Joelijanto. (2012). Oral habits that cause malocclusion problems. IDJ, 1(2), 88–93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18196/di.v1i2.536.

An-Soo Jang, et al. (2016). Effects of air pollution on upper airway diseases. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol, 16(1), 13–7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ACI.0000000000000235.

Kozliakovskyi, P. O. (2004). General psychology: Textbook for students of higher education institutions] (Vol. 2). Petro Mohyla Mykolaiv State Humanitarian University. [Козляковський П. О. (2004). Загальна психологія. Навч. посібник для студ. вищ. навч. закл. Миколаївський держ. гуманітарний ун-т ім. Петра Могили, Т. 2, 240 с.]. ISBN 966-7458-86-5. [in Ukrainian].

Guarnieri, M., & Balmes, J. R. (2014). Outdoor air pollution and asthma. Lancet, 383(9928), 1581–92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60617-6.

Loktyeva, S. A. (2009). Personality development and adaptation in the student environment. Psykhologichni nauky, 24, 78–82. [Локтєва С. А. (2009). Розвиток особистості і адаптація в студентському середовищі. Психологічні науки, 24, 78–82]. [in Ukrainian].

Makhlynets, N. (2026). A Stepwise Educational Framework for Practical Skill Acquisition in Undergraduate Dental Training. Actual Dentistry, (6), 50–54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33295/1992-576X-2025-6-50.

Makhlynets, N., Plishka, D., Kokoshko, M., Ozhogan, Z., & Kozan N. (2025). Oral parafunctional habits among preschool children in Ukraine: single-center longitudinal study. Ukrainian Dental Almanac, (4), 87–94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31718/2409-0255.4.2025.12.

McLeod, J. (2012). The Meanings of Stress: Expanding the Stress Process Model. Society and Mental Health J, 3, 172–86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2156869312452877.

Nauholnyk, L. B. (2015). Psychology of stress : a textbook. Lviv State University of Internal Affairs. [Наугольник Л. Б. (2015). Психологія стресу : підручник. Львівський державний університет внутрішніх справ, 324 с]. [in Ukrainian].

Radchenko, O. M. (2022). Stress theory and Hans Selye’s philosophical views: Significance for modern medicine. Zdorov’ya Ukrayiny, 21(538), 15–16. [Радченко О. М. (2022). Теорія стресу та філософські погляди Ганса Сельє: значення для сучасної медицини. Здоров’я України 21 сторіччя, 21(538), 15–16]. https://health-ua.com.

Robert M. Sapolsky. (2005). The influence of social hierarchy on primate health. Science, 308(5722), 648–52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1106477.

Schraufnagel, D. E., et al. (2019). Air pollution and noncommunicable diseases. Chest, 155(2), 409–16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2018.10.042.

Selin, H., & Davey, G. (Eds.) (2012). Happiness across cultures: Views of happiness and quality of life in non-Western cultures. NY: Springer, p. 123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2700-7.

Smirnov, B. A. (2007). Psychology of activity in extreme situations. Gumanitarnyy Tsentr, p. 76. [Смирнов Б. А. (2007). Психологія діяльності в експериментальних ситуаціях. Харків: Гуманітарний центр, 76 c].

Tytarenko, T. M. (2001). Prevention of adaptation disorders in youth to daily stresses and crisis life situations. Millennium. [Титаренко Т. М. (2001). Профілактика порушень адаптації молоді до повсякденних стресів і кризових життєвих ситуацій : навч. посібник. Київ: Міленіум. 275 c].

World Health Organization. (1018). Air pollution and child health: prescribing clean air. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/275545.