The effect of hypertrophic adenoids and tonsils on the development of posterior crossbite and oral habits.

There are a number of studies in the literature, that associate nasopharyngeal airway obstruction, as a result of adenoid enlargement, to the development of skeletal and dental abnormalities. However, the etiologic role of hypertrophied adenoids and tonsils in developing an aberrant dentofacial growth is not clear, yet. The present investigation attempted to study the incidence of maxillary posterior crossbite and oral habits, in a sample of 120 children, that displayed hypertrophied adenoids with or without enlarged tonsils, and underwent adenoidectomy.