Comparison of the upper airways from cephalometric radiographs of children with and without finger-sucking habit

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ABSTRACT

Aim

Finger-sucking in early childhood can induce morphologic changes in the oropharynx and upper airways, which could
arise even in children without reported oral breathing. The aim of this study was to compare cephalometric findings in children with and
without finger sucking habit with respect to oral breathing.

Methods

Fifty-six children aged 4 to 12 years (28 with
diagnosis of finger sucking and 28 controls) treated at the Port Colombia Dental Clinic underwent cephalometric radiographs, from
which morphologic (n=11, whole skull), upper airways (n=10), hyoid bone (n=3) and postural (n=5) measurements were performed. The
unpaired t-test was used for comparison between groups.

Results

Both groups had similar age and gender distribution (7.9 yrs
2.9; M/F: 14/14). Patients with finger-sucking habit had a higher hard palate length from the anterior nasal spine to the
posterior nasal spine (finger-sucking subjects: 50.18 mm; controls: 46.91 mm; p = 0.0001) and distance from the epiglottic vallecula to
the posterior pharyngeal wall (finger-sucking subjects: 15.55 mm; controls: 13.36 mm; p = 0.0231) than control subjects. Patients with
finger-sucking habits also had a shorter distance from the posterior nasal spine to the adenoids (14.91 mm vs. 17.82 mm; p = 0.0173),
wider cranial-cervical angles (105.64 mm vs. 101.6 mm; p = 0.05) and lower hyoid bone positioning (14.55 mm vs. 11.82 mm; p =
0.0125) than controls.

Conclusion

Finger-sucking habit is associated with characteristic cephalometric changes even in children
without oral breathing, especially at the hyoid bone and postural measurements.

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