Helen He

• Professor, chief physician, PhD supervisor.
• Director of the Orthodontic Teaching and Research Department, and Chair of the first Department of Orthodontics, the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University.
• President-elect of Chinese Orthodontics Society.
• Standing Committee Member of the Sleep Medicine Specialized Committee of the Chinese Physicians Association (CPA).
• Fellow of the International Dental College (FIDC)
• Membership in Orthodontics of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MOrth RCS) and Examination Committee Member
• Honorary Professor at the School of Dentistry of the University of Hong Kong
• Member of the Editorial Board of Seminars in Orthodontics.
• Published more than 100 SCI papers as first author or corresponding author.

Course Details

Upper airway obstruction in children is mostly caused by adenoid hypertrophy, tonsillar hypertrophy and/or nasal diseases that block the nasal passages. It can lead to mouth breathing, pediatric obstructive sleep apnea, and subsequently may result in dentofacial developmental abnormalities, growth retardation, neurocognitive dysfunction, nocturnal enuresis and other issues. Upper airway obstruction may not only cause dolichofacial type, narrow dental arch, high-arched palate, mandibular retrusion and high-angle Class II malocclusion, but also Class III malocclusion (anterior crossbite). The treatment of malocclusion related to upper airway obstruction should first eliminate the etiological factors and establish correct nasal breathing habits. Then, individualized orthodontic treatment plans should be formulated according to the patient’s age and malocclusion manifestations, so as to effectively manage the dentofacial and systemic growth and development.

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