Abstract

Objective: There is limited data available regarding dental arch morphology and its association with Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB). The objective of the study was to compare the dental arch morphology of patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea-Hypopnoea Syndrome (OSAHS) and of those without any symptoms of SDB.

Patients/Methods: A total of 600 subjects were included in the study and were divided into two groups of 300 subjects each (390 men and 210 women); Group 1: Patient group; Group 2: Control group. The test and control subjects were well matched for age and gender. A comparative cross-sectional study design was employed and specific measurements were made on dental study models with digital calipers to ensure precise and accurate measurement of anatomic distances.

Results: Analyses were able to detect statistically significant changes (P

Key words: dental arch dimensions, study model analysis, obstructive sleep apnoea, malocclusion, orthodontist, palatal depth, polysomnography, mouth breathing