SLEEPING POSITIONS AND DENTAL ARCH DIMENSIONS IN CHILDREN WITH SUSPECTED OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA SYNDROME

The present paper analyzed the association between children's sleeping positions and dental arch morphology. The sleeping patterns of 27 chi ldren, aged 3 to 10 yr, suspected of having the obstructive sleep apne a syndrome (OSAS) were studied by polysomnography (PSG) and videotape recordings under laboratory conditions. The PSG recordings were used t o calculate the apnea index (AI) and the relative time spent sleeping on the back, and the videotapes to categorize distinctly different sle ep and head postures. Plaster casts were made for the assessment of de ntal arch morphology. Sleeping predominantly on one's back, was associ ated with a reduced maxillary intercanine width, while prolonged head extension during sleep correlated inversely with the overjet. The subj ects with the highest AI scores (>4) had larger dental arches. We-sugg est that sleeping on the back causes a more posterior tongue position, reducing its moulding effect on the anterior dental arch. As nasophar yngeal airway obstruction in OSAS-patients might trigger an anterior t ongue position to secure a free airway passage, there will be increase d lingual pressure on the dental arches, leading to their dimensional increase.