BackgroundThis study aimed to determine the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing among primary school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and to evaluate associations between sleep-disordered breathing and respiratory conditions/orofacial symptoms.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 1600 questionnaires were distributed to Saudi boys and girls aged 6–12 years from 16 primary schools in Riyadh. The questionnaire covered relevant demographic and personal characteristics, presence of respiratory conditions and orofacial symptoms, and the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire. The latter was used to assess the prevalence of symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing and was completed by the participating children’s parents.ResultsIn total, 1350 completed questionnaires were returned (85% response rate). The children’ mean age was 9.2 ± 1.8 years; 733 (54.3%) were boys and 617 (45.7%) girls. Overall, 21% of children were at high risk of sleep-disordered breathing. The prevalence of snoring was 14.4% and that of sleep apnea 3.4%. Boys were at higher risk of sleep-disordered breathing than girls (P = 0.040). Children with respiratory conditions or orofacial symptoms were at higher risk of sleep-disordered breathing (P < 0.0001) than children without these conditions/symptoms.ConclusionsAround 21% of Saudi children are at risk of sleep-disordered breathing. There is a strong association between sleep-disordered breathing symptoms and the presence of respiratory conditions or orofacial symptoms.

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Riyadh residents showed a general preference for a male dentist but demonstrated no preference for nationality when selecting a dentist.

Dental developmental stages were highly correlated with CVM stages III and IV among Saudi subjects.

OBJECTIVE:To assess and compare the changes in pharyngeal airway space dimensions following orthodontic treatment of skeletal class II and class III facial deformities with premolar extraction.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Sixty pre and posttreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs of patients who underwent fixed orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction were collected. The sample was divided into two groups – 32 patients with skeletal class II and 28 patients with skeletal class III malocclusion. Both groups were subdivided into growing patients (<16 years old) and adults (>16 years old). Nasopharyngeal, palatopharyngeal, and glossopharyngeal airway space dimensions were measured in the pretreatment (T0) and posttreatment (T1) cephalometric radiographs using Dolphin Imaging 11.7 software. Two-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to assess the in-treatment changes.RESULTS:Nasopharyngeal airway dimension showed similar significant increase in class II (P = 0.042) and class III (P = 0.049) patients from T0 to T1, whereas palatopharyngeal and glossopharyngeal dimensions were insignificantly decreased in both groups. However, both malocclusions followed the same pattern of changes in relation to airway dimensions. In addition, no significant statistical difference was found in the airway spaces between growing and adult patients.CONCLUSIONS:Extraction of premolars did not affect the pharyngeal dimensions except those of the nasopharynx, which showed a significant increase after extraction in both groups.