Repercussion of oral breathing upon growing children.

Background: Mouth-breathing syndrome is when a child has mixed breathing. Factors such as lifestyle, eating habits, allergies, postural problems, facial changes, and incompetent lip seals cause mouth breathing. During growth the craniofacial structures adapt to the mouth breathing pattern, leading to changes in the facial musculature, thereby affecting the dental arches. As a mouth breathers, it exhibit characteristics of the typical adenoid facies. Aim: To evaluate various parameters associated with mouth breathing and its effects on the craniofacial structure of growing children. Methods: This in vivo study involved 162 children (81 mouth breathers and 81 nasal breathers) aged 10-14 years. Each subject was clinically examined for characteristics such as lip seal, postural changes, long face, anterior open bite, high narrow palate, and gingivitis in maxillary incisors. Water-holding test was performed to confirm mouth breathing habit. In addition, these children were referred to ENT for airway evaluation. Guardians of participants were asked to fill out a self-designed questionnaire consisting of 30 questions related to factors causing mouth breathing. Craniofacial morphology of both mouth breathers and nasal breathers was assessed using a lateral cephalogram. Various cephalometric landmarks were recorded in order to compare variables between nasal and mouth breathers. Result: Awaited. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and treatment of mouth breathing syndrome is important to prevent possible future dental and physical problems. Hence, a joint effort by pedodontists, orthodontists, otorhinolaryngologists, and pediatricians is thus required for reducing continuing detrimental effects of breathing impairments on craniofacial characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]