title: Prevalence of mouthbreathing in cleft lip and palate.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of mouthbreathing in the cleft population. Percent nasal breathing was assessed in 85 children and adults using a pneumotachograph to measure nasal volumes and an inductive plethysmograph to measure tidal volumes. Breathing mode was defined using the following classifications of percent nasal breathing: 80 to 100 percent, nasal; 60 to 79 percent, predominantly nasal; 40 to 59 percent, mixed oral-nasal; 20 to 39 percent, predominantly oral; 0 to 19 percent, oral. Results demonstrate that 68 percent of the subjects were oral, predominantly oral or mixed oral-nasal breathers, and 32 percent were predominantly nasal or nasal breathers. Adults had the same prevalence of mouthbreathing as children. These findings demonstrate that cleft lip/palate and its treatment frequently compromise nasal respiration.
authors.affiliation: Dental Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Hairfield
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Seaton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009058:Mouth Breathing / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000601:surgery; D010991:Plethysmography; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000295:instrumentation; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013990:Tidal Volume