European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Diagnostic tools for upper airway includes acoustic rhinomanometry, nasal endoscopy, cephalometry, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and computed tomography (CT). It is pivotal to consider various craniofacial risk factors for sleep disordered breathing and upper airway obstructions in the decision-making and treatment planning in contemporary orthodontic treatment. The clinical interpretation should homogenise airway-grading and study of airflow characteristics. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), is a numerical simulation method, which is commonly used by researchers to enumerate the various mechanical properties in the upper respiratory tract and thus, any obstruction in the upper airway can be interpreted and diagnosed. CFD has been recognised as a unique technique in the field of cardiovascular and respiratory medicine, in demonstrating and assessing complex physiological flow patterns using structured mathematical equations. This article discusses the various studies in orthodontics that has used CFD to analyse and annotate the upper airway characteristics and flow analysis. The aim and objective of this article is to review the various applications of CFD and how it can be used as an efficient tool to assess the aerodynamics of the upper airway in the field of airway- focussed orthodontics.