The effects of chronic absence of active nasal respiration on the growth of the skull: A pilot study?

Oral respiration associated with an obstructed nasal airway is common in or thodontic patients. For several years chronic oral respiration has been imp licated as a prime causative factor in the development of "adenoid facies" or the "long-face syndrome." The animal experiment reported here begins a s eries designed to study, as separate variables, the 2 components of chronic oral respiration: (1) chronic absence of active nasal respiration and 2) c hronic mouth opening to find out what dentofacial changes can be attributed to chronic absence of active nasal respiration alone. In this pilot study, 5 growing dogs underwent tracheotomy so that significant active nasal resp iration was not possible and oral respiration was not essential.