Head posture and facial profile of mouth breathing children caused by nasal obstruction

Mouth breathing children are often associated with an obstruction of the upper respiratory tract caused by adenoid hypertrophy, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, sinusitis, or obstructive sleep apnea. The body will respond to nasal obstruction by changing the head posture to increase the permeability of the oropharyngeal. Mouth breathing also alters the tension of the muscle on the maxilla and mandible, which results in changes to facial profile. The objective of this study is to analyze the change in head posture and facial profile caused by nasal obstruction. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Pediatric Respirology and Pediatric Immunology Allergy Outpatient Clinic Kiara Maternal and Child Health Center at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital with a consecutive sampling method on children aged 7-18 years. Lateral cephalometry was performed to determine the head posture and facial profile. This study showed that a mouth breathing habit caused by nasal obstruction may contribute to a change in head posture and facial profile.