Prevalence of Malocclusion Patterns in Mouth Breathing Children Compared to Nasal Breathing Children – A Systematic Review

Abstract

The prevalence of malocclusion in mouth breathing children compared to nasal breathing children is unclear, therefore the aim of this study is to identify this prevalence in a systematic review. Seven studies were included. Six studies investigated the prevalence of malocclusion in mouth breathers and compared them with the prevalence data in nose breathers. One study evaluated the prevalence of mouth- and nose breathing in children with malocclusion. The prevalence rates for class I to class III malocclusions vary significantly between studies. For class I malocclusions, a prevalence between 9% and 74% was identified in the included studies. For class II malocclusions a prevalence between 21% and 73% was shown, which equalled roughly the prevalence of class I malocclusions. Class III malocclusions were the least prevalent, between 5% and 24%. There is insufficient evidence for a difference in prevalence patterns of class I – III malocclusions between mouth and nasal breathers in order to draw a definite conclusion. The quality of the included studies was rated moderate to poor. Research on the prevalence of malocclusions in mouth breathing compared to nasal breathing children is scarce. Identified prevalence rates differ significantly, which is likely due to different assessment and reporting methods used in the included studies. The evidence of a difference in prevalence patterns for class I – III malocclusions and other occlusion traits between mouth and nasal breathers is insufficient to draw a definite conclusion.