Original Articles
A study on the pharyngeal size in different skeletal patterns

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Abstract

In the present study, pharyngeal size was investigated on the lateral cephalometric head films of 90 subjects, 45 males and 45 females, having different ANB angles. All of the subjects were aged 13 to 15 years. The films were taken at natural head position, and all were divided into three groups according to the ANB angle: ANB angles smaller than 1°, between 1° and 5°, and larger than 5°. In addition, each group was also divided into two subgroups according to sex. The effects of the ANB angle and sex on the pharyngeal size were investigated by means of variance analysis. It has been observed that two measurements, hy-apw4 and oropharynx area measurements, were affected by the change of ANB angle, and two other measurements, t-ppw and hy-apw2 measurements, by the sex; and that hy-apw4 measurement and oropharynx area became smaller with the increase of ANB angle. (AM J ORTHOD DENTOFAC ORTHOP 1995;108:69-75.)

Section snippets

Material and method

This study included cephalometric radiographs of 45 male and 45 female subjects. All subjects were aged 13 years to 15 years. The subjects selected for this study were expected:

  • 1.

    To have undergone no previous orthodontic treatment,

  • 2.

    To breathe comfortably through the nose,

  • 3.

    Not to have any deglutition disorder or visual or hearing disorder,

  • 4.

    To have normal vertical occlusal relationships,

  • 5.

    Not to have any wound, burn, and scar tissue in the neck region.

Natural head position was determined by the

Discussion

Normal respiration denotes that nasal and pharyngeal structures are being used sufficiently.20 So that a person can breathe normally, it is necessary that not only there exist no nasal passage disease but also there exist no problem impeding the normal respiration, such as enlarged adenoid tissue and tonsil hypertrophy in the nasopharynx and oropharynx, respectively. A normal nasal airway is dependent on sufficient anatomical dimensions of the airway.36 In addition, the size of nasopharynx is

Acknowledgements

We express our gratitude to Mr. Yavuz Gonca for his help in writing this article in English.

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