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Investigation into Deep Breathing through Measurement of Ventilatory Parameters and Observation of Breathing Patterns
Published on: September 16, 2019
Oral breathing and head posture
Antonino Marco Cuccia1, Maurizio Lotti, Domenico Caradonna
1Department of Dental Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. cucciaam@odonto.unipa.it
Children who breathe through their mouths exhibit altered head posture, including increased neck extension and reduced spinal curvature. These findings highlight the cephalometric differences in oral breathing children compared to those who breathe nasally.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry
- Craniofacial Development
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Oral breathing (OB) in children is associated with various craniofacial changes.
- Understanding the specific head and cervical spine posture in OB children is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify the head posture and cephalometric characteristics of children who habitually breathe through their mouths.
Main Methods:
- Lateral cephalograms were analyzed from 35 oral breathing (OB) children and 35 physiological breathing (PB) children.
- Measurements included angles related to the cervical spine and craniofacial structures, as well as hyoid bone position.
Main Results:
- OB children demonstrated increased head extension relative to the cervical spine (e.g., higher NSL/OPT, FH/OPT angles).
- Reduced cervical lordosis (e.g., lower MGP/OP angle) and increased skeletal divergence (e.g., higher ANS-PNS/Go-Me, ANB angle) were observed in OB patients.
- A low hyoid bone position (H-MP) was also noted in the OB group.
Conclusions:
- Oral breathing children exhibit a distinct head posture characterized by greater extension of the head on the cervical spine.
- These children also present with reduced cervical lordosis and increased skeletal divergence compared to physiological breathing peers.
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