Abstract
Introduction
The postural relationships of the head, jaws, and tongue, which are established shortly after birth with the opening of the airway, change throughout life to satisfy physiological needs and to keep the airway open(1). The intimate anatomical and functional proximity of craniofacial and upper respiratory structures influences the facial and dental growth. A healthy respiratory function is essential for the harmonious growth and development of the maxillofacial structures(2).
The upper airway is a crucial structure that supports breathing, one of the most important functions of the human body, and there has been evidence of a close relationship between the pharyngeal structures and both dentofacial and craniofacial features(3).
The past few decades have noticed a renewed interest in the interaction between form and function in craniofacial region. The growth and function of the nasal cavities, the nasopharynx, and the oropharynx are closely associated with the normal growth of skull(4). The pharynx and dentofacial structures have a strong association, and mutual interaction is expected between pharyngeal structures and dentofacial pattern. As a result, there is a difference in size and position of soft and hard tissue components of the upper airway in different skeletal patterns.
A significant relationship exists between airway space and facial morphology, also airway space may be affected by conditions such as functional anterior shifting, head posture, sagittal skeletal relation, and maxillary protraction(5).
Skeletal features such as retrognathic maxilla and mandible and vertical maxillary excess in hyperdivergent patients may lead to narrower anteroposterior dimensions of the airway. On the other hand, the oropharyngeal airway has been claimed to affect the growth of craniofacial structures(6)(7)(8).
Linder Aronson postulated that mouth breathers tip their heads backward in an attempt to increase their airway(9).
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Corresponding Author
Dr Kalyani Shriniwas Chatla
Postgraduate Student, Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Dental College, Kegaon, Solapur
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v10i5.15
