Sleep-disordered breathing in children with class II and large overjet treated with removable functional appliance – A longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) was examined in children aged 9-14 years with class II and large overjet ≥ 6 mm (study group) before (T0), during (T1) and after treatment (T2) with a removable functional appliance, compared to a control group. METHODS: At T0, the study group included 37 children, and the control group included 32 children. For both groups, exclusion criteria were as follows: diseases, syndromes, allergies, asthma, mouth breathing, adenoid vegetations, and hypertrophied tonsils. SDB was assessed and scored manually by respiratory polygraphy. SDB parameters between the groups were compared using a general linear model adjusted for sex, treatment time, and body mass index. RESULTS: = .258), although at T0, 8.6% of the children in the study group and none in the control group had SDB. None were diagnosed with SDB at T1 or T2. No significant differences in changes in SDB parameters between the groups were observed from T0-T1, T1-T2, or T0-T2. CONCLUSIONS: At T0, 8.6% of study group children had SDB but none at T1 or T2. No significant difference in changes in SDB parameters over time was found between the groups. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04964830.