Mandibular growth direction following adenoidectomy.

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Craniofacial Growth

Background:

• Severe nasopharyngeal obstruction can impact craniofacial development.
• Adenoidectomies are performed to alleviate airway obstruction.
• The effect of establishing nasal breathing on mandibular growth is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if nasal respiration after adenoidectomy affects mandibular growth direction.
• To analyze changes in mandibular growth direction (MGD) over 5 years post-adenoidectomy.

Main Methods:

• Serial cephalometric radiographs were used to measure MGD in 38 Swedish children (7-12 years) post-adenoidectomy.
• A control group of 37 children with clear airways, matched for age and sex, was used for comparison.
• Initial cephalometric measurements were compared between the adenoidectomy and control groups.

Main Results:

• The adenoidectomy group initially presented with longer lower face heights, steeper mandibular plane angles, and more retrognathic mandibles.
• Girls in the adenoidectomy group showed a significantly more horizontal MGD over 5 years compared to female controls (P < 0.02).
• A similar, though not statistically significant, trend was observed in boys; individual MGD showed greater variability post-adenoidectomy.

Conclusions:

• Establishing nasal breathing following adenoidectomy may influence mandibular growth direction, especially in girls.
• The findings suggest that nasopharyngeal obstruction and its surgical correction can be factors in determining MGD.
• Increased variability in MGD post-adenoidectomy warrants further investigation into influencing factors.