title: Alterations in maxillary sinus volume among oral and nasal breathers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral breathing causes many changes in the facial anatomical structures in adult patients. In this study we aimed to determine the effects of long-term oral breathing (>5 years) on the maxillary sinus volumes among adult male patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We accessed medical records of 586 patients who had undergone cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for any reason between September 2013 and April 2014. Patients who had undergone cone-beam dental volumetric tomography scans for any reason and who had answered a questionnaire about breathing were screened retrospectively. Cone beam dental volumetric tomography (I-Cat, Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, PA, USA) was used to take the images of the maxillo-facial area at a setting of 120 kVp and 3.7 mA. This study involved male patients older than 21 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included a total of 239 male patients, of which 68 were oral breathers and 171 were nasal breathers. The mean age of the oral breathers was 48.4 years and that of the nasal breathers was 46.7 years and the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The mean maxillary sinus volumes of the oral and nasal breathers were 9043.49±1987.90 and 10851.77±2769.37, respectively, and the difference in maxillary sinus volume between the 2 groups was statistically significant (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The volume of maxillary sinus in oral breathers (>5 years) was significantly lower than in nasal breathers, but it remains unclear whether this is due to malfunctioning of the nasal cavity or due to the underlying pathological condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Dicle, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamil Serkan
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Agacayak
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Dicle, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Belgin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gulsun
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Adıyaman, Adıyaman, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koparal
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of Afyon Kocatepe, Afyon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Atalay
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Dicle, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Dicle, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozkan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adiguzel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000502:physiology; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012984:Software; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult