Lione Roberta, Franchi Lorenzo, Huanca Ghislanzoni Luis Tomas, Primozic Jasmina, Buongiorno Marco, Cozza Paola
*Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy.
**Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Florence, Italy, ***Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, The University of Michigan, USA,
Eur J Orthod. 2015 Feb;37(1):101-4. doi: 10.1093/ejo/cju018. Epub 2014 Jul 12.
To compare the anatomical characteristics of the maxillary arch, identified as palatal surface area and volume, between mouth-breathing and nose-breathing subjects using a three-dimensional (3D) analysis of digital dental casts.
Twenty-one Caucasian subjects (14 females and 7 males) with a mean age of 8.5 years [standard deviation (SD) 1.6 years] were selected according to the following criteria: mouth-breathing pattern due to allergic rhinitis, early mixed dentition, skeletal Class I relationship, and pre-pubertal stage of cervical vertebral maturation. This study group (SG) was compared with a control group (CG) of 17 nose-breathing subjects (9 females and 8 males, mean age: 8.5 years; SD: 1.7 years). For each subject, initial dental casts were taken and the upper arch was scanned using a 3D laser scanner. On each digital model, 3D measurements were performed to analyse maxillary arch morphology. Between-group differences were tested with the independent sample Student's t-test (P < 0.05).
In mouth-breathing subjects, changes in physiological function of the upper respiratory tract resulted in skeletal adaptations of the maxillary arch. In the SG, both palatal surface area and volume were significantly smaller when compared with values of the CG. In particular, the palatal surface area and palatal volume were, respectively, 13.5 and 27.1 per cent smaller in the SG when compared to the CG.
Subjects with prolonged mouth breathing showed a significant reduction of the palatal surface area and volume leading to a different development of the palatal morphology when compared with subjects with normal breathing pattern.
通过对数字化牙模进行三维分析，比较口呼吸和鼻呼吸受试者上颌牙弓的解剖学特征，即腭表面积和体积。
根据以下标准选择21名平均年龄为8.5岁（标准差1.6岁）的白种人受试者（14名女性和7名男性）：因过敏性鼻炎导致的口呼吸模式、早期混合牙列、骨骼I类关系以及颈椎成熟的青春期前阶段。将该研究组（SG）与17名鼻呼吸受试者的对照组（CG）进行比较（9名女性和8名男性，平均年龄：8.5岁；标准差：1.7岁）。对每位受试者取初始牙模，并使用三维激光扫描仪对上颌牙弓进行扫描。在每个数字模型上进行三维测量以分析上颌牙弓形态。组间差异采用独立样本t检验（P<0.05）。
在口呼吸受试者中，上呼吸道生理功能的改变导致上颌牙弓的骨骼适应性变化。在研究组中，腭表面积和体积与对照组相比均显著更小。特别是，研究组的腭表面积和腭体积与对照组相比分别小13.5%和27.1%。
与正常呼吸模式的受试者相比，长期口呼吸的受试者腭表面积和体积显著减小，导致腭形态发育不同。
