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Transverse maxillary dimensions and upper airway morphology in mouth- and nasal-breathing children aged 10-12 years:
Rani Satiti1, Hendri Susanto2, Anrizandy Narwidina3
1Master Program in Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Introduction:
Mouth breathing (MB) is a dysfunctional respiratory pattern that may affect craniofacial development by altering maxillary arch width and upper pharyngeal airway morphology. Early identification is critical to prevent long-term dentofacial and airway complications. This study aimed to compare maxillary arch width and upper airway morphology between mouth- and nasal-breathing children aged 10-12 years using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT).
Materials And Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, 30 children (15 mouth breathers and 15 nasal breathers) underwent CBCT imaging. Transverse maxillary arch dimensions were measured at four points: maxillary width at molars (MWM), intermolar width (IMW), maxillary width at canines (MWC), and intercanine width (ICW). Upper airway morphology was assessed using volumetric (nasopharyngeal volume [NPV], oropharyngeal volume [OPV]) and cross-sectional area (nasopharyngeal area [NPA], oropharyngeal area [OPA]) measurements. Independent t-tests were used to compare group differences with 95 % confidence level.
Results:
The MB group showed significantly reduced maxillary arch widths (MWM, IMW, MWC, ICW) and diminished upper airway volume and area (NPV, OPV, NPA, OPA) compared to nasal breathers (p < 0.001 for all parameters).
Conclusion:
Mouth breathing in school-aged children is associated with measurable reductions in maxillary arch width and upper pharyngeal airway dimensions.
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