Effect of an Eight-Week Breathing Exercise Program on the Respiratory Function and Craniovertebral Angle in Dental Students: A Pre-test and Post-test Quasi-experimental Study

Introduction Dental training requires prolonged static and forward-leaning working positions that may contribute to forward head posture. Forward head posture can be quantified using the craniovertebral angle (CVA) and may be associated with reduced respiratory performance. This study investigated whether an eight-week breathing exercise program improves respiratory function and neck posture in senior dental students. Methods A prospective pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental study was conducted among senior dental students (20-25 years) at the University of Sharjah. Forty-five participants completed baseline testing; 40 completed post-intervention testing and were included in paired analyses. Respiratory function was assessed using spirometry (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁), peak expiratory flow (PEF)). Neck posture was assessed using CVA from standardized lateral photographs. The intervention consisted of daily diaphragmatic breathing, alternate-nostril breathing, and dynamic breathing exercises for eight weeks. Pre-post changes were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests. Results Respiratory function improved significantly after the intervention. Mean FVC increased from 2.99 ± 0.90 L to 3.32 ± 0.87 L (p < 0.001), mean FEV₁ increased from 2.81 ± 0.89 L to 3.17 ± 0.84 L (p < 0.001), and mean PEF increased from 6.50 ± 2.31 L/s to 7.42 ± 2.08 L/s (p < 0.001). CVA did not change significantly (42.95 ± 8.11° pre-intervention vs 43.35 ± 8.23° post-intervention; p = 0.83). Mean spirometry values remained below device-generated predicted/reference values despite improvement. Conclusion An eight-week breathing exercise program significantly improved spirometric measures in dental students but did not significantly change CVA. These findings suggest that breathing exercises can enhance respiratory function, while meaningful correction of forward head posture may require additional posture-specific interventions.