TO EVALUATE THE MORPHOLOGY OF SOFT PALATE CORRELATING WITH AGE AND GENDER: A DIGITAL CEPHALOMETRIC STUDY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The oral cavity is an intricate phenomenon with sophisticated details and varied functions, and a thorough understanding of normal anatomy and anomaly that helps in diagnosis and successful treatment of many complex cases. Soft palate is a major part of oral cavity that helps in diagnosing different velar incompetency like cleft palate, OSA, OSMF etc. with the help of clinical examination and radiographic examination like lateral cephalogram. AIM The aim of the study is to evaluate the morphology of the soft palate by digital lateral cephalometry in representative Lucknow population. OBJECTIVES ❖ To investigate the velar morphology in different age groups using digital lateral cephalogram. ❖ To investigate the differences in the velar morphology between both gender using digital lateral cephalogram. ❖ To correlate the various morphological aspects of soft palate with snoring. MATERIALS AND METHOD The study sample consisted of 200 patients from both genders. All the enrolled subjects will be grouped into four. For gender and age determination, the subjects will be selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Morphology of soft palate will be categorized based on radiographic analysis. For snoring, a predilection for developing OSAS was evaluated by asking for snoring to the close relatives of the patient. RESULTS In the present study, velar morphology was classified into six type, the correlation of soft palate morphology (length, width and type) with snoring habits was recorded and found that, in Lucknow population, soft palate length is associated with snoring but both width and shape were found not to be associated with it. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that lateral cephalogram can be efficiently used to assess the morphology of soft palate.