Assessment of changes in the volume of the upper respiratory tract after reaching the optimal anterior-posterior position of the jaws

Modern orthodontic treatment is aimed not only at achieving functional occlusion, including tooth alignment, achieving the median position of the roots of the teeth in the alveolar process of the jaws, optimal function of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), but also at achieving optimal alignment of the jaws themselves in the cranial space and restoring the volume of the patient’s upper respiratory tract. Anomalies of occlusion in the anteroposterior direction (distal and mesial occlusion) are one of the main factors in the development of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, therefore, achieving optimal anteroposterior jaw position can significantly improve the condition of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. However, the use of traditional, average approaches in the diagnosis and planning of orthodontic treatment does not always lead to achieving the optimal position of the jaws in the cranial space for each individual patient. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the change in the volume of the respiratory tract in adult patients after reaching the optimal anterior-posterior position of the jaws. Materials and methods. 24 adult patients with skeletal maxillofacial anomalies (16 women and 8 men) were examined. All patients were divided into two main groups depending on the type of dental anomalies. The first group consisted of 17 patients with skeletal forms of distal occlusion of varying severity. The second group consisted of 7 patients with skeletal mesial occlusion of varying severity. The new 6ElementsONLINE™ diagnostic platform based on unique human landmarks was used to diagnose the anterior-posterior position of the jaws and plan combined treatment. Results. As a result of this study, statistically significant differences in the volume of the respiratory tract before and after treatment were found in the two groups (p<0.05). After reaching the optimal anterior-posterior position of the jaws based on unique human landmarks, an increase in the respiratory tract was observed in 100% of cases. The average increase was 35%. Conclusions. After reaching the optimal anterior-posterior position of the jaws, based on unique human landmarks, an increase in the upper respiratory tract was observed, with an average increase of 35%. The GALL line is a reliable extracranial landmark that is unique to each patient in order to achieve optimal anterior-posterior jaw position and restore the volume of the patient’s upper respiratory tract.