Maxillofacial characteristics of adenoidal and/or tonsillar hypertrophy related skeletal class II malocclusion in children with mixed dentition

Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of adenoidal and/ortonsillar hypertrophy on the development of maxillofacial structures in skeletal Class Ⅱ malocclusion with mixed dentition. Methods 56 mixed dentition patients with skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion were included. They were grouped according to the sites of upper airway obstruction and self-examination results on mouth breathing. Cephalometrics were done and statistically analyzed. Results The lower facial height of patients with no mouth-breathing and no obstruction is significantly shorter than that of patients with adenoidal hypertrophy combing with or without tonsillar hypertrophy, and shorter than that of patients with mouth-breathing but no obstruction. The lower facial height of patients with tonsillar hypertrophy is significantly shorter than that of patients with adenoidal hypertrophy, mouth-breathing but no obstruction. The anterior lower facial height and posterior lower facial height in patients without mouth-breathing and no obstruction are significantly shorter than that in patients with mouth-breathing with or without obstruction. Conclusions Adenoidal and/or tonsillar hypertrophy is strongly related with mouth-breathing. Even without airway obstruction, habitual mouth-breathing can still induce long facial height and high angle skeletal class Ⅱ characteristics in mixed dentition patients. Key words: Adenoids; Tonsils; Mouth-breathing; Class Ⅱ malocclusion