Sleep is very important for children's growth, development and learning. The anatomy and size of the airway and position of the jaw can affect children's sleep. Children with large overjet due to a posterior position of the mandible have smaller airways compared to children with neutral occlusion. Reduced dimensions of the upper airways may increase the risk of impaired sleep quality and the sleep related breathing disorder obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which causes symptoms e.g. failure to thrive, irritability, behavioural disorders, fatigue, which affects the children's growth, development, and learning negatively.~Children with large overjet due to mandibular retrognathia in Denmark are offered orthodontic treatment in municipal dental care and are in most cases treated with a mandibular advancement device (MAD) keeping the mandible in a forward position relative to the maxilla. MADs are also used to treat adults with mild-moderate obstructive sleep apnoea while they sleep. This can reduce the number of apnoea periods by up to 75% as well as preventing daytime sleepiness.~No previous study have examined sleep quality, upper airway, jaw function, well-being and quality of life in children with large overjet before, during and after MAD treatment compared to a control group with normal occlusion.
This project examines sleep quality (e.g. prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea(OSA)), dimension of upper airway, jaw function, well-being and quality of life in children with large overjet compared to a control group. In addition, the effect of treatment with a mandibular advancement device (MAD) on sleep quality, upper airway and jaw function are examined, and how these factors affect the children's well-being and quality of life.