Influence of mode of breathing on pharyngeal airway space and dento facial parameters in children: a short clinical study

Abstract

BackgroundMouth breathing is considered as a mode of breathing modality that presents as a replacement to normal nasal breathing. This persistent pattern of mouth breathing have considerable influence on the development of dentofacial structures. This altered pattern of breathing have resulted in exhibiting considerable changes in pharyngeal airway space in children thereby hampering the child’s normal respiration which influences the developing occlusion in the child. Hundred subjects were selected following responses obtained from a provided questionnaire detailing the breathing modalities. They were divided into two groups of fifty each namely nasal breathers and mouth breathers and subjected to adequate clinical and cephalometric evaluation and their study casts were obtained for carrying out definitive conclusion. This study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of mouth breathing on dentofacial growth and pharyngeal airway space in children.ResultsThe values showed positive correlation between mouth breathers with increase in palatal height (P < 0.05), narrowing of the intermolar width (P < 0.05), reduction in pharyngeal airway space (< 0.05) and subsequently an increased incidence of Class II malocclusion.ConclusionsMouth breathing have undeniable influence on the growth of pharyngeal airway space and associated dental and skeletal structures in children.