A Survey Study on Sleep Breathing in Individuals with Malocclusion Characterized by Maxillary Transversal Deficiency and Snoring Problem

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this survey study is to evaluate the awareness of parents on sleep disorders and their side effects, and to measure their level of awareness to those respiratory problems can lead to dental and jaw disorders. 
 Materials and Methods: A survey was applied to the parents of 30 children whose average age was 11.86, who had snoring, mouth breathing, and narrow maxilla, who applied to the Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Ankara University. While the first six questions of the questionnaire are about general information, the next 37 questions are about the smoking status of the parents, the child's snoring characteristics, and apnea, day and night complaints that are typically seen in children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. 
 Result: In our survey study, it was determined that the awareness of people that snoring in children can be a symptom of a disease is weak. 40% of parents do not have information on this issue. In addition to that, parents do not think that snoring seen in children while sleeping at night may influence school success. 
 Conclusion: In our study, it was found that the level of awareness of parents about the effects of breathing problems during sleep on jaw development was also low. Because of that, orthodontists and physicians interested in sleep should inform the society more about this issue.