Abstract:

Objectives: Association between craniofacial skeletal morphology and upper airway dimension is important. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal airway sizes using lateral cephalometric radiographs. Materials and Methods: The material consisted lateral cephalometric radiographs taken from the archives of Erciyes University Faculty of Dentistry. The study group consisted of lateral cephalometric raiographs of 30  patients with skeletal Class  I malocclusion (20  female and 10  male), 31  patients with skeletal Class  II malocclusion (21  female and 10  male), 29  patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion (18 female and 11 male). PNS-PPW1 (nasopharingeal airway), SPT-PPW2 (oropharingeal airway) and Eb-PPW3 (hypofaringeal airway) values was measured. Otherwise, tongue length, vertical airway length, soft plate angulation, thickness and height, lower and upper pharyngeal spaces and hyoid bone position with respect to mandibular plane are evaluated. Statistical comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVA, and Fisher’s LSD tests. Results: No statistically significant difference in nasopharyngeal airway (F=0,970, p=0,383), oropharingeal airway (F=1,34, p=0,267), and hypofaringeal airway (F=1,86, p=0,161) sizes were seen among the patients with skeletal Class I, Class II, and Class III malocclusion. Conclusions: It is seen that the sizes of nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal airway are independent from skeletal Class I, Class II, and Class III malocclusions

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