The Effects of Septal Deviation, Concha Bullosa, and Their Combination on the Depth of Posterior Palatal Arch in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Nasal breathing is the major pattern of air intake. Changes in breathing pattern alter the posture of the head, jaws and tongue that could change pressure on the jaw and teeth and affect their growth. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between septal deviations (SD) per se and in combination with concha bullosa (CB) on maxilla; particularly the depth of palatal arch. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This descriptive-comparative study was performed on 116 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. The images were categorized into four groups (n=29) as follows; group 1: SD+CB, group 2: only SD, group 3: neither SD nor CB, and group 4: only CB. In coronal images, deviated septal length (DSL), angle of deviated septal curve (DSCA), palatal arch depth (PAD), palatal interalveolar length (PIL), PAD/PIL ratio, septal vertical length (SVL), maxillopalatal arch angle (MPAA), interjugum distance (IJD), and jugum angle (JA) were measured. The data were statistically analyzed with Tukey's HSD and Chi-square tests. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in DSL and DSCA (p= 0.0001) among the four groups. The study groups were not statistically different regarding the IJD, JA, MPAA, PAD/PIL, PAD, PIL, and SVL. However, in group 1, PAD/PIL were significantly correlated with DSCA and DSL (p= 0.037, and p= 0.043, respectively). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, simultaneous occurrence of SD and CB influenced the depth and curve of the palatal bone. The PAD/PIL ratio was negatively correlated with the DSCA angle. This correlation was associated with a decrease in PAD, indicating that concurrent occurrence of SD and CB remarkably affected the palatal base of maxilla.