title: The effect of mouth breathing on dentofacial morphology of growing child.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The oral mode of respiration cause postural adaptations of structures in the head and neck region producing the effect on the positional relationship of the jaws.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to verify the skeletal relationship of mouth and nose breathing child.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was performed to assess the association of changed mode of respiration with dentofacial growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred children among which 54 were mouth breathers and 46 were nasal breathers of 6-12 years of age were submitted to clinical examination and cephalometric radiographical analysis. Statistical analysis : Chi-square test for proportions and independent sample's "t" test for parametric data is used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean values of N-Me (P<0.001) ANS-Me (P<0.001) and SN-GoGn (P<0.001) for mouth breathers is significantly higher. ArGo-GoMe (P=0.003) and (P<0.011) for 6-9 and 9-12 years age group, respectively, were significantly low in nasal breathers group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changed mode of respiration was associated with increased facial height, mandibular plane angle and gonial angle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, CSMMU, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagar
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002680:Chin / Q000254:growth & development; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000254:growth & development; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000254:growth & development; D008437:Maxilla / Q000254:growth & development; D008445:Maxillofacial Development / Q000502:physiology*; D009058:Mouth Breathing / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000254:growth & development; D009666:Nose / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration; D014716:Vertical Dimension