Objective: To study the effects of mouth-breathing on maxillary arch development by comparing the palatal morphology of mouth- and nose-breathing children in mixed dentition.
Methods: Children in mixed dentition were enrolled and categorized into mouth-breathing (test group) and nose-breathing groups (control group) according to their breathing patterns. Children's plaster models were scanned with 3D laser scanner, and the 3D data were reconstructed and measured using Minics 15.0 and Geomagic 12.0 software. Measurement data (inter-molar width, palatal height, palatal volume, and palatal surface area) of the two groups were compared, and the correlation among the four measurement items was analyzed.
Results: The participants were 73 children (37 in test group and 36 in control group) with a mean age of (8.63±0.78) years old. The test group had significantly smaller inter-molar width, palatal volume, and palatal surface area but significantly higher palatal height than the control group (P<0.05). Inter-molar width and palatal volume were positively correlated with the palatal surface area in the test group (P<0.05). Inter-molar width and palatal height were positively correlated with the palatal surface area in the control group (P<0.01).
Conclusions: Mouth-breathing children have significantly reduced inter-molar width, palatal volume, and surface, and substantially increased palatal height, leading to different developmental patterns of the palatal morphology.
目的 通过比较替牙列期口呼吸和鼻呼吸儿童的腭部形态，探讨口呼吸对上颌牙弓发育的影响。方法 收集替牙列期儿童，根据呼吸方式分为口呼吸组（试验组）和鼻呼吸组（对照组）。用3D激光扫描仪对儿童的石膏模型进行扫描，收集3D数据并采用Minics 15.0和Geomagic 12.0软件对数据进行重建和测量。对2组的测量数据（磨牙间牙弓宽度、磨牙区腭部高度、腭部体积和腭部表面积）进行比较，并分析4个测量项目之间的相关性。结果 研究共纳入73名儿童，平均年龄（8.63±0.78）岁；试验组37名，对照组36名。试验组的磨牙间牙弓宽度、腭部体积以及腭部表面积小于对照组，磨牙区腭部高度大于对照组（P<0.05）。试验组磨牙间牙弓宽度、腭部体积与腭部表面积呈正相关（P<0.05），对照组磨牙间牙弓宽度和磨牙区腭部高度与腭部表面积呈正相关（P<0.01）。结论 口呼吸儿童的上颌牙弓狭窄，腭盖高拱，腭部体积和表面积较小。.
Keywords: mixed dentition; mouth-breathing; palate morphology; three-dimensional analysis.