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Sleeping positions and dental arch dimensions in children with suspected obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
K Pirilä1, P Tahvanainen, J Huggare
1Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland.
Insights
Children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Sleep Medicine
- Orthodontics
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) affects children's health.
- Sleep position and head posture may influence craniofacial development.
- Understanding these associations can inform early interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between children's sleeping positions and dental arch morphology.
- To explore correlations between sleep patterns, apnea index, and craniofacial structures.
Main Methods:
- Polysomnography (PSG) and videotaping were used to analyze sleep patterns in 27 children (3-10 years) with suspected OSAS.
- Apnea index (AI) and sleep postures (supine, prone, head extension) were recorded.
- Dental arch morphology was assessed using plaster casts.
Main Results:
- Sleeping predominantly supine correlated with reduced maxillary intercanine width.
- Prolonged head extension during sleep showed an inverse correlation with overjet.
- Children with higher AI scores (>4) exhibited larger dental arches.
Conclusions:
- Supine sleeping may lead to a posterior tongue position, reducing its influence on the anterior dental arch.
- In OSAS patients, airway obstruction might cause an anterior tongue posture, increasing lingual pressure and dental arch dimensions.
- Sleep position and OSAS severity appear to influence dental arch morphology in children.
Abstract:
The present paper analyzed the association between children's sleeping positions and dental arch morphology. The sleeping patterns of 27 children, aged 3 to 10 yr, suspected of having the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) were studied by polysomnography (PSG) and videotape recordings under laboratory conditions. The PSG recordings were used to calculate the apnea index (AI) and the relative time spent sleeping on the back, and the videotapes to categorize distinctly different sleep and head postures. Plaster casts were made for the assessment of dental arch morphology. Sleeping predominantly on one's back, was associated with a reduced maxillary intercanine width, while prolonged head extension during sleep correlated inversely with the overjet. The subjects with the highest AI scores (> 4) had larger dental arches. We suggest that sleeping on the back causes a more posterior tongue position, reducing its moulding effect on the anterior dental arch. As nasopharyngeal airway obstruction in OSAS-patients might trigger an anterior tongue position to secure a free airway passage, there will be increased lingual pressure on the dental arches, leading to their dimensional increase.