Revista de Ciencias Médicas de Pinar del Río (Jun 2017)
Depth of palate and position of hyoid bone in mouth-breathing children
Abstract
Introduction: respiratory needs are the main determinant of the posture of jaws, tongue and head; that is why an altered respiratory pattern produces morphological changes of the palate along with the position of the hyoid bone. Objective: to determine the depth of the palate and position of the hyoid bone in mouth-breathing children from 9 to 11 years old. Method: an analytical research of cases and controls was carried out. The target group was comprised of 107 patients and the sample included 60 patients (30 mouth-breathing children group, and 30 nasal-breathing children in the control group). Lateral cephalograms were taken from the skull. Linear and / or angular measurements were used to determine the position of the hyoid bone; a slide gauge and an acrylic template were used to measure the depth of palate. Results: a mean palatine depth was obtained at the canines’ level of 5.28 mm and at the molar level of 14.00 mm in the mouth breathing group with 5.74 mm and 10.18 mm respectively in the control group. Negative measures with respect to the distances H-H’ and C3-Gn-H of the hyoid bone predominated. Significant differences were found between the two study groups at a significance level of 5%. Conclusions: the mouth breathing group presented a palatal depth greater at the molar level and slightly lower at the canine level than the control group. The hyoid showed a postero-inferior position in the mouth-breathing group.
