Does nasal airflow obstruction influence maxillary canine impaction? A fluid dynamics and quantitative tongue posture study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Maxillary buccal impacted canines (BIC) can cause root resorption of the adjacent incisors, making early detection critical. However, the etiological factors underlying BIC remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between nasal airflow status and tongue posture in patients with BIC. METHODS: Ninety-three children with BIC were classified based on canine axis inclination into mild (n = 24, mean age: 9.24 years), moderate (n = 23, mean age: 9.12 years), and severe (n = 46, mean age: 9.67 years) impaction groups. A control group comprised 31 children without BIC (mean age: 9.66 years). Cone-beam computed tomography assessed maxillofacial morphology, maxillary and mandibular arch widths and molar inclination, intraoral airway volume (indicator of low tongue posture), and nasal airway pressure using computational fluid dynamics. RESULTS: Maxillary first molar width was significantly smaller in the severe impaction group (32.4 mm) than in the control group (34.0 mm). Nasal airway pressure and intraoral airway volume were significantly greater in the severe impaction group (1328.2 Pa; 2.31 cm3) than in the control group (50.2 Pa; 0.53 cm3). Nasal airway obstruction and low tongue posture were significantly more prevalent in the severe impaction group (78.2% and 80.4%) than in the control group (9.6% and 22.5%). LIMITATIONS: Study limitations include the retrospective nature, restricted sample age, and lack of evaluation of genetic and local factors. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: BIC are associated with dental arch morphology, nasal airway obstruction, and low tongue posture.