Relationship of respiratory disease and allergy to malocclusion.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not impaired respiratory function is a risk indicator for malocclusion. It has long been assumed, but never demonstrated, that malocclusion may be one of the outcomes of exposure to respiratory disease. Respiratory problems and allergies are on the increase for all age, race, and socioeconomic groups. The study sample is comprised of 14,272 individuals 8 to 50 years of age from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), for whom occlusal, respiratory, and allergy data were available. A population based cross sectional study design was used to test the following null hypothesis: There is no difference in the prevalence of respiratory disease and/or allergy in individuals with posterior crossbite, excessive overjet, negative overjet, or open bite compared to controls without these occlusal traits. Weighted logistic and multiple regression analyses were used to observe the relationship of each type of respiratory symptom, respiratory disease, allergy symptom, and allergic reaction to posterior crossbite, positive overjet, negative overjet, and open bite in different models. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the prevalence of respiratory disease and/or allergy in individuals with posterior crossbite, negative overjet, open bite, or excessive overjet compared to controls without these occlusal traits before and after controlling for age, race, gender, orthodontic treatment, and socioeconomic status. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) The finding that there is no association between malocclusion and respiratory disease/allergy is also not consistent with the belief that the individual with the long face syndrome is affected by respiratory disease and/or allergy. If this association exists, it is so rare that it is not statistically or clinically significant. (2) The present study findings do not support the idea that early treatment of respiratory disease and/or allergy may have a positive effect on dentofacial growth. Further, it also does not verify the contention that orthodontic treatment may improve the respiratory and/or allergic conditions of patients.PhDDentistryHealth and Environmental SciencesPublic healthUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/125613/2/3208420.pd