Prevalence of Nasal Airway Obstruction in an Orthodontic Population Using the NOSE Scale

Nasal Airway Obstruction is a common problem affecting 30% of the general population and significantly impacts the quality of life. The objective of this research was to determine nasal airway obstruction prevalence in a population seeking orthodontic treatment using the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale and to determine if practice modalities play a role.

The sample consisted of 431 patients seeking orthodontic care who completed the NOSE survey at an orthodontic residency program, a corporate practice, and a private practice.

Obstruction was not correlated with age, gender, or trauma (p < 0.05). The mean of all scores was 8.4 ± 14.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.0-9.8), ranging from 0 to 80 on a scale of 100. The prevalence of nasal airway obstruction in the orthodontic population was: mild or above-43.9% (95% CI: 39.1%-48.7%); moderate or above-11.4% (95% CI: 8.6%-14.9%); severe-2.6% (95% CI: 1.3%-4.5%); and extreme-0.2% (95% CI: 0.0%-1.3%). The Kruskal-Wallis test showed no significant difference among patients at the three locations.

The Prevalence of Nasal Airway Obstruction (Mild to Extreme) in orthodontic populations was 43.9% (95% CI: 39.1%-48.7%), representing or slightly exceeding that of the general population. There was no significant difference between an orthodontic residency program, a corporate practice, and a private practice, indicating that the results are widely applicable. Orthodontists are encouraged to use the NOSE scale as a risk assessment tool, providing additional healthcare services to patients and potentially improving their quality of life.