Evaluation of masseter muscle thickness of mouth breathing patients using ultrasonography

Chronic mouth breathing negatively affects the growth of the craniofacial complex and creates problems on the dental structures and adjacent skeletal muscle structures. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the possible effects of this situation on the muscles in the chewing system by evaluating the masseter muscle thickness in mouth-breathing individuals by ultrasonography.

A total of 50 patients (26 males and 24 females) between the ages of 18-65 years were included in the study and constituted the mouth breathing group, while a total of 50 patients (24 males and 26 females) constituted the control group. The masseter muscles of the patients were monitored both at rest and during contraction, separately on the right and left sides for both groups, and thickness measurements were made by ultrasonography imaging.

According to the data obtained, the masseter muscle thickness values of the mouth breathing male patient group were found to be significantly lower than the control male group according to the variables of side and contraction status (p < 0.05), while no significant value was observed in the comparison of the female patient group and the control group (p > 0.05). While no difference was observed in the evaluation of the patient and control groups according to age factors (p > 0.05), the muscle thicknesses of male patients were significantly higher than those of female patients on both sides and in both positions in the gender variable (p < 0.05).

It can be stated that mouth breathing causes a negative effect on masticatory functions by creating an obstacle to normal physiology in the masticatory system and reduces the activation of the masseter muscle, which is one of the main elements of masticatory function.