Craniofacial and Upper Airway Characteristics with Class III Malocclusion in 4-to 5-Year-Old Children in Shijiazhuang

Abstract Background To provide a craniofacial and upper airway cephalometric characteristics of Chinese children analysis with Class III malocclusion (skeletal and dental) in 4-to 5-Year-Old Children in shijiazhuang, China. Materials & methods Lateral cephalographs of male and female groups of 78 children (aged from 3.5 to 5.5 years) with skeletal Class III (S III) malocclusion were compared to those of 64 children (aged from 3.5 to 5.5 years) with dental Class III (D III) malocclusion. 19 indicators were involved in which represented the maxilla、mandible and their relative position, the growth pattern of the mandible and the width of the upper airway. Wilcoxon two-sample test and Student's t-tests were performed to assess differences between S III malocclusion (group 1) and D III malocclusion (group 2) with SPSS 21.0. Results Significant differences were showed in the measurements as follows. Compared to the D III group, in the S III group, maxillary sagittal growth deficiency apparently localized around the point A, with the mandible being more excessive forward and less backward and downward rotation. (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference at the level of the nasopharynx sagittal diameter between the two groups. However, the data of tonsil plate at the level of the oropharynx sagittal diameter showed significant smaller in S III group than D III group. This difference extended down into the laryngopharynx. Conclusions In a word, for the skeletal Class III malocclusion 4–5 year children, the jaw disharmony assumed retruded maxilla and retrusive mid-face in the sagittal planes, narrow oropharynx and laryngopharynx upper airway, protracted mandible and shorter lower face height.