During the growth period, mouth breathing caused by upper airway obstruction can adversely affect normal development of children's maxillofacial region, manifesting various types of growth patterns and facial appearance. Therefore, to further understand the influence of different obstructive parts of upper airway on maxillofacial growth patterns, this knowledge would be helpful for clinicians in guiding the normal development of children's maxillofacial region. This review describes the common causes of oral breathing, and analyzes the maxillofacial development characteristics of children with different upper airway stenosis anatomical planes and various age stages. In order to provide a reference frame basis for the intervention timing, program formulation and the maintenance of the post-operative efficacy of children with oral breathing.
Humans ; Maxillofacial Development ; Child ; Mouth Breathing/physiopathology* ; Airway Obstruction

Objective:To explore the effects of mouth opening breathing for different reasons on children's maxillofacial development. Methods:One hundred and fifty-one children were selected as the research objects of this experiment. They were divided into 49 cases of adenoid hypertrophy group（group A）, 52 cases of tonsillar hypertrophy group（group B） and 50 cases of adenoid with tonsillar hypertrophy group（Group C）. Healthy children in the same period were selected as the control group, a total of 45 cases. The reflex nasopharyngeal measurement parameters, facial development indexes and cephalometric parameters of group A, group B, group C and control group were analyzed, and the incidence of Angle ClassⅡand Angle Class Ⅲ in group A, group B and group C were studied. Results:Compared with the control group, the reflex nasopharyngeal measurement parameters in group A, group B and group C was significantly different（P<0.05）, and the cephalometric parameters changed with variation in groups（P<0.05）. The incidence of Angle Class Ⅱ facial pattern in group A and group C was higher, but the incidence of Angle Class Ⅲ facial pattern in group B and group C was higher（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Adenoid hypertrophy leads to mandibular retraction; tonsil hypertrophy leads to anterior mandibular arch; adenoid hypertrophy and tonsil hypertrophy are easy to lead to clockwise rotation of the mandible. In clinical practice, to avoid children's uncoordinated maxillofacial development, we should correct the maxillofacial situation of children as soon as possible.
Child ; Humans ; Maxillofacial Development ; Malocclusion, Angle Class III/complications* ; Nasopharynx ; Adenoids ; Palatine Tonsil ; Mouth Breathing/etiology* ; Hypertrophy/complications* ; Mouth

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the change of the position of the tongue before and after combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy in children with mouth-breathing and skeletal class Ⅱmalocclusion. Methods:A total of 30 children with skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion and unobstructed upper airway were selected. The 30 children were divided into mouth-breathing group（n=15） and nasal-breathing group（n=15） and CBCT was taken. The images were measured by Invivo5 software. The measurement results of the tongue position of the two groups were analyzed by independent samples t-test. 15 mouth-breathing children with skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion were selected for maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy. CBCT was taken before and after treatment, the measurements were analyzed by paired sample t test with SPSS 27.0 software package. Results:The measurement of the tongue position of the mouth-breathing and nasal-breathing groups were compared, the differences were statistically significant（P<0.05）. The measurement of the tongue position showed significant difference after the combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy in children with mouth-breathing and skeletal class Ⅱmalocclusion（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion children with mouth-breathing have low tongue posture. The combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy can change the position of the tongue.
Child ; Humans ; Myofunctional Therapy/methods* ; Mouth Breathing/therapy* ; Palatal Expansion Technique ; Tongue ; Malocclusion/therapy*

Objective:To compare the changes of morphology of pharynx in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome （OSAHS） and healthy individuals during oral or nasal breathing, and explore the relevant influencing factors. Methods:Twenty-nine adult patients with OSAHS and 20 non-snoring controls underwent MRI to obtain upper airway structural measurements while the subjects were awake and during mouth breathing with a nasal clip.The following were analyzed. ①The changes of upper airway structure of oral and nasal respiration in non-snoring control/OSAHS patients were observed; ②The differences and influencing factors of upper airway structure changes between OSAHS patients and controls were compared during breathing. Results:The control group consisted of 15 males and 5 females, with an apnea-hypopnea index （AHI）<5 events/h, while the OSAHS group comprised 26 males and 3 females with an AHI of 40.4±23.1 events/h and the mean lowest arterial oxygen saturation （LSaO2） was 79.5% ±10.0%. In the both groups, the vertical distance between the mandible and the posterior pharyngeal wall decreased （P<0.05）; The long axis of tongue body decreased （P<0.05）, and the contact area between tongue and palate decreased. There was no significant change in the total volume of the retropalatine（RP） and retroglossal（RG） airway in the control group （P>0.05）. However, the minimum cross-sectional area and volume of the RP airway in OSAHS decreased （P<0.001）. The lateral diameters of uvula plane in OSAHS decreased during mouth breathing, which was contrary to the trend in the control group （P=0.017）. The AHI of patients was positively correlated with the reduction of the volume of the RP airway during oral breathing （P=0.001）; The reduction of the distance between the mandible and the posterior pharyngeal wall was positively correlated with the length of the airway （P<0.001）. Conclusion:Mouth breathing leads to the shortening of the long axis of the tongue, the reduction of the contact area between the soft palate and the tongue, vertical distance between the mandible and the posterior pharyngeal wall, and the cross-sectional area of the epiglottis plane. These changes vary between OSAHS patients and controls. During mouth breathing, the diameters, areas and volumes of the RP area decreased, and were more significant in severe cases.
Male ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Mouth Breathing ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/surgery* ; Pharynx/surgery* ; Palate, Soft ; Uvula/surgery* ; Syndrome

Oral habits, such as mouth breathing, sucking, and lip and tongue habits, are important factors that lead to malocclusion. The abnormal pressure will disrupt the muscle balance of the oral and maxillofacial complex and interfere with the normal development of the maxillofacial complex. Therefore, early diagnosis and successful treatment of oral habits are pivotal to the early treatment of malocclusion. This paper discusses the malocclusion caused by children's oral habits and the corresponding intervention methods.
Child ; Fingersucking ; Habits ; Humans ; Malocclusion/therapy* ; Mouth Breathing/complications* ; Tongue Habits

The most common cause of mouth breathing is obstacles caused by mechanical factors in upper airway. Mouth breathing could be consequently pathological cause of sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep-disordered breathing in children can cause growth disorders and behavioral disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between upper airway and sleep-disordered breathing in children with mouth breathing.Twenty boys between 7 – 9 years old who reported to have mouth breathing in questionnaire were evaluated with clinical examination, questionnaires, lateral cephalometric radiographs, and portable sleep testing. This study assessed apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) for the evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing and was done to investigate the correlation between these values and the upper airway width measured by lateral cephalometric radiographs.There was no significant correlation with the size of the tonsils (p = 0.921), but the adenoid hypertrophy was higher in the abnormal group than in the normal group (p = 0.008). In the classification according to AHI and ODI, retropalatal and retroglossal distance showed a statistically significant decrease in the abnormal group compared to the normal group (p = 0.002, p = 0.001). As AHI and ODI increased, upper airway width tended to be narrower. This indicates that mouth breathing could affect the upper airway, which is related to sleep quality.
Adenoids ; Child ; Classification ; Growth Disorders ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Mouth Breathing ; Mouth ; Oxygen ; Palatine Tonsil ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of mouth-breathing on maxillary arch development by comparing the palatal morphology of mouth- and nose-breathing children in mixed dentition. METHODS: Children in mixed dentition were enrolled and categorized into mouth-breathing (test group) and nose-breathing groups (control group) according to their breathing patterns. Children's plaster models were scanned with 3D laser scanner, and the 3D data were reconstructed and measured using Minics 15.0 and Geomagic 12.0 software. Measurement data (inter-molar width, palatal height, palatal volume, and palatal surface area) of the two groups were compared, and the correlation among the four measurement items was analyzed. RESULTS: The participants were 73 children (37 in test group and 36 in control group) with a mean age of (8.63±0.78) years old. The test group had significantly smaller inter-molar width, palatal volume, and palatal surface area but significantly higher palatal height than the control group (P<0.05). Inter-molar width and palatal volume were positively correlated with the palatal surface area in the test group (P<0.05). Inter-molar width and palatal height were positively correlated with the palatal surface area in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Mouth-breathing children have significantly reduced inter-molar width, palatal volume, and surface, and substantially increased palatal height, leading to different developmental patterns of the palatal morphology.
Child ; Dental Arch ; Dentition, Mixed ; Humans ; Maxilla ; Mouth Breathing ; Palate

OBJECTIVES: Although adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the main cause of sleep-disordered breathing in children, surrounding anatomic factors, such as the width of the nasopharynx, can affect upper airway patency. However, there have been no reports of the association of nasopharyngeal width with sleep-disordered breathing in children. This study was undertaken to measure nasopharyngeal width in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing and to investigate the clinical implications of this factor. METHODS: This was a retrospective study with a follow-up period of 1 year, performed at a tertiary referral center. We reviewed the operative records of children who underwent adenotonsillectomy at our center for symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, such as snoring, apnea, and mouth breathing. The nasopharyngeal width was measured immediately before adenotonsillectomy, which was performed under general anesthesia with a microscopy-assisted mirror view. Adenotonsillar hypertrophy was graded on a four-point scale, and symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing were evaluated by using the Korean version of the Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18 questionnaire before and after surgery. The relationships between the average nasopharyngeal width and patient age and sex, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, and the Korean version of the Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18 score were analyzed. RESULTS: The study included 549 children (343 boys) with a mean age of 6.0 years (range, 2 to 11 years). The average nasopharyngeal width was 11.9 mm (range, 7.0 to 18.0 mm) and increased with age (range, 11.2 to 13.3; β=0.264; P<0.001). At 1 year after surgery, children with a greater nasopharyngeal width at the time of surgery exhibited additional improvements in symptoms of obstruction relative to those at 1 month after surgery. CONCLUSION: The average nasopharyngeal width in children is approximately 11.9 mm and exhibits a slight increase with age. The width of the nasopharynx may be a factor associated with the degree of improvement in symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing after adenotonsillectomy.
Adenoidectomy ; Anesthesia, General ; Apnea ; Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Mouth Breathing ; Nasopharynx ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Snoring ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Tonsillectomy

OBJECTIVES: It is well known that allergic rhinitis (AR) has positive association with adenotonsillectomy. However, the impact of AR on symptom improvement after adenotonsillectomy is not well documented. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the effect of AR on the symptom improvement after adenotonsillectomy between AR and nonallergic patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 250 pediatric patients younger than 10 years old who received adenotonsillectomy from June 2009 to June 2014 in a tertiary referral hospital. All patients underwent skin prick test or multiple allergen simultaneous test (MAST) before surgery and classified into AR group and control group. Obstructive and rhinitis symptoms including snoring, mouth breathing, nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, itching, and sneezing were evaluated before and 1 year after surgery using questionnaire and telephone survey. RESULTS: AR group was 131 and control group was 119, showing higher prevalence (52.4%) of AR among adenotonsillectomized patients. Both groups showed dramatic improvement of symptoms such as snoring and mouth breathing after surgery (all P < 0.05). However, AR group showed significantly less improvement than control group in snoring, mouth breathing, nasal obstruction, and rhinorrhea (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative mouth breathing and snoring were dependent on tonsil grade and postoperative symptoms were mainly dependent on presence of AR. Nasal obstruction was dependent on tonsil grade and presence of AR preoperatively and presence of AR postoperatively. These suggest the importance of AR as a risk factor for mouth breathing, snoring, and nasal obstruction. CONCLUSION: AR has positive association with adenotonsillectomy and not only allergic symptoms but also obstructive symptoms such as snoring and mouth breathing improved less in AR group than control group. Hence, patients with AR should be monitored for long-term basis and more carefully after adenotonsillectomy.
Adenoidectomy ; Child ; Humans ; Mouth Breathing ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nasal Obstruction ; Palatine Tonsil ; Prevalence ; Pruritus ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic* ; Risk Factors ; Skin ; Sneezing ; Snoring ; Telephone ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Tonsillectomy

Malignant lymphoma is tumor of the immune system. It is mainly found in the lymph node but it can also originate from extranodal organs such as gastrointestinal tract, sinonasal tract, and etc. We experienced a case of 18-year-old female patient with a huge nasopharyngeal mass. The patient visited our clinic with complaints of nasal obstruction and mouth breathing without general symptoms. After extirpation and biopsy of the nasopharyngeal mass, lesion was diagnosed as malignant lymphoma. In immunohistochemistry, CD 20, Bcl-2, Bcl-6 were positive. Final diagnosis was diffused large B cell lymphoma, for which she received chemotherapy (Rituximab, Cyclophosp, Ahamide, Adriamycin, Vincristine, Prednisone). We report a case of huge malignant lymphoma that occurred in the nasopharynx with a brief review of literature.
Adolescent* ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Female* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Immune System ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Mouth Breathing ; Nasal Obstruction ; Nasopharynx ; Vincristine