[Clinical diagnosis and physical examination].

In children, medical history and meticulous examination are essential to the diagnosis and future treatment of all the alterations contributing to sleep breathing disorders. Examination of the oropharynx aids assessment of hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils, while fiberoptic endoscopy assists in the diagnosis of adenoid hypertrophy. Among radiological examinations, only cephalometry has proved to be useful in the study of the facial skeleton. Lateral radiography of the nasopharynx to study adenoid vegetations has been surpassed by fiberoptic endoscopy in terms of diagnostic performance. All examinations facilitate an etiological and topographical diagnosis of patients with sleep breathing disorders. The diagnosis of respiratory problems that affect children's dentofacial development can begin at a very early age, since early detection is essential to preventing the effects of these alterations on orofacial morphology and function. This article reviews the basic and additional dental examinations that should be conducted in children with upper airway obstruction and a medical history of sleep breathing disorders.