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. 2007 Jul-Aug;73(4):500-5.
doi: 10.1016/s1808-8694(15)30101-4.

A study on the relationship between mouth breathing and facial morphological pattern

Ana Paula Bianchini  1 , Zelita Caldeira Ferreira Guedes, Marilena Manno Vieira
Affiliations

A study on the relationship between mouth breathing and facial morphological pattern

Ana Paula Bianchini et al. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2007 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Breathing is responsible for facial and cranial morphology development.

Aim: investigate in order to see if there is any relationship between oral breathing and facial type.

Material and methods: 119 male and female teenagers, with ages ranging between 15 and 18 years. The sample was separated in two groups: A-50 teenage oral breathers, 28 males and 22 females; and group B- 69 teenage nasal breathers, 37 males and 32 females. The sample was collected at the Centro de Atendimento e Apoio ao Adolescente do Departamento de Pediatria da UNIFESP/ EPM. We evaluated breathing and facial measures.

Results: by means of anthropometric indexes we classified facial types and associated them with the persons breathing type, Hypereuriprosopic (Total=0; oral breathers 0%; nasal breathers 0%; Euriprosopic (Total=14; oral breathers 2.52%, nasal breathers 9.24%;Mesoprosope (Total=20; oral breathers 19.32%; nasal breathers 21.01%, Leptoprosopic (Total=37; oral breathers 14.29%; nasal breathers 16.81%; Hyperleptoprosopic (Total =48; oral breathers 5.89% nasal breathers 10.92%). The mesoprosopic facial type was found in 48 teenagers (40.33%) of whom 25 (21.01%) were oral breathers and 23 (19.32%) were nasal breathers.

Conclusion: it was not possible to prove the existence of an association between oral breathing and facial type.

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