There may be a link between dentofacial traits and sleep quality, with protruding facial profiles and anterior crossbites emerging as potential predictors of sleep disorders (SDs) in young adults. This study was recently published in BMC Oral Health.
Additionally, factors such as gender and lower body mass index (BMI) may be associated with higher average sleep quality scores, the authors wrote.
"These findings suggest a significant association between dentofacial characteristics and sleep quality in young adults," wrote the authors, led by Yuanyuan Li of Fudan University in China (BMC Oral Health, February 10, 2025, Vol.25, 215).
This cross-sectional study included 2,479 young adults ages 17 to 25. Participants completed questionnaires and underwent oral examinations by orthodontists, they wrote.
Researchers used the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess sleep quality, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality and more severe SDs. Oral examinations evaluated lateral facial profiles, molar occlusions, teeth alignment, and other dental characteristics.
The study found a median PSQI score of 5.92 ± 1.66, with 16.3% of participants classified as having SDs. Higher PSQI scores were observed among females and underweight individuals. Of the subjects, 44.36% had protruding profiles, while 6.86% had concave profiles, with various dentofacial abnormalities being common, they wrote.
Furthermore, logistic regression analysis identified protruding lateral profiles (odds ratio [OR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-3.16; p = 0.008) and anterior crossbite (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.01-2.04; p = 0.043) as significant risk factors for SDs. Additionally, reduced anterior overbite correlated with a higher prevalence of SDs, whereas a deep overbite served as a protective factor, with moderate overbite showing statistical significance (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35-0.76; p = 0.001).
However, the study had limitations. The use of the PSQI questionnaire instead of validated sleep monitoring devices may have introduced recall bias and limited the accuracy of classification sleep disorders, they wrote.
"These results emphasize the importance of screening for SDs in individuals with dentofacial deformities, and suggest that addressing dentofacial abnormalities during childhood may help reduce the risk of SDs in adulthood," Li and colleagues concluded.
