Effect of adenoid hypertrophy and adenoidectomy on bite force in children: Twelve month follow-up, case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of adenoid hypertrophy (AH) and adenoidectomy on maximal bite force (MBF) in patients were evaluated by comparing them with healthy controls. METHODS: A total of 118 children diagnosed with AH and undergoing adenoidectomy (Group A), and healthy controls (Group B) were included. The MBF and nasopharyngeal airway passage distance (NAPD) were recorded. RESULTS: There was a correlation between NAPD and MBF at the beginning of the study (r = -0.675 and p < 0.001). The initial mean MBF of Groups A and B were 318.37 ± 70.76 N and 344.04 ± 64.14 N, respectively (p = 0.041). However, there was no significant difference between the groups due to the increase in the MBF of Group A at 12 months (p = 0.165). CONCLUSION: The MBF may be negatively affected in proportion to decreased NAPD, and it could also be an indicator for monitoring the status of children with AH.