Facial Growth: The Foundation of Healthy Airway Function

The cause of malocclusion is widely accepted to be multifactorial. It includes genetic factors as well as habits, dietary preferences, habitual oral or tongue posture, and swallowing patterns. The cranium stops growing around the age of 20 years. Although the cranium reaches most of its adult size before then, the cranium bones continue to grow at their sutures to fuse the bones, completion by the time the individual is 20 years old. The cranium grows fastest during early childhood, reaching approximately 80 percent of its adult size by the age of two years and by the age of five years, the cranium is at 90 percent of its adult size. The rapidly expanding brain is a key driving factor for skull growth during early life. As genetic factors strongly influence the human skull and brain morphology at its sutural connection, the growth of maxilla at certain developmental stages is also influenced by the environment and behaviors, the pressure of the tongue vertically at resting posture. The importance of local or environmental factors, such as oral posture and oral soft tissue characteristics must not be ignored. Nasal breathing is important too for proper growth and development of the craniofacial complex in children. The constant airflow through the nasal passage during breathing stimulates the lateral growth of the maxilla and lowers the palatal vault.