Cephalometric evaluation of the oropharyngeal space in cases of atypical swallowing

• Autor(a) principal: Vieira, Marina Dias
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Outros Autores: Vilella, Oswaldo de Vasconcellos
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista odonto ciência (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/ojs/index.php/fo/article/view/3741
• topic: Oropharynx; atypical swallowing; cephalometrics; orthodontics; Atypical swallowing; malloclusion

Purpose: To evaluate the free oropharyngeal airway space in subjects with atypical swallowing and compare the findings with those obtained from normal patients aiming to establish a cephalometric index able to predict atypical swallowing. Methods: Lateral cephalometric radiographs were obtained from 105 subjects with atypical swallowing. Radiographs were divided into three age groups for cephalometric tracing and analysis. Results: Oropharyngeal depth increased between 6 and 23 years-old, and there was no significant difference between males and females. No significant differences of oropharyngeal data were found between patients with normal or atypical deglutition for the three age groups. Conclusion: It was not possible to establish a cephalometric index to predict atypical swallowing associated with tongue interposition because the study subjects were able to maintain their tongues in a normal position inside the oral cavity during rest. Key words: Oropharynx; atypical swallowing; cephalometrics; orthodontics