Dental health and mouth breathing
PAID CONTENT
A person naturally breathes through their mouth when running or lifting something heavy. However, breathing most of the time through your mouth can cause many health problems. And these problems are especially pronounced in children because breathing through the mouth can affect the long-term bone development in the face and can also affect the position of the teeth. This article gives reasons for mouth breathing and why it must be corrected.
No one can live without oxygen! Most people breathe through their nose. And the nose acts as a humidifier and filter. It also warms the air and supplies nitric oxide which kills “bad germs” and causes blood vessels to dilate, which helps get more oxygen into the blood. When one cannot get enough oxygen through their nose, the open mouth takes over. But breathing through the mouth for most of the time can cause problems.
Why breathe through
your mouth?
Breathing through your mouth affects many body functions and leads to things like dry mouth, headaches, bad breath, sore throats, chronic fatigue, poor sleep, bad tooth position, ear fullness, bad posture, abnormal facial features and a bad bite. Blocked nasal passageways can cause someone to breathe through their mouth. Reasons for this could include allergies, enlarged adenoids or tonsils, respiratory infections like colds or flu or airway obstruction as we see in obstructive sleep apnea. Signs of an airway obstruction include snoring, frequent sore throats, dark swollen circles under the eyes, daytime sleepiness and many of the symptoms listed above.
Affects to the teeth,
jaw and posture
The jaw and the tongue are used for eating, swallowing and talking. When the mouth is always used for breathing, changes in posture result; the head position is forward in front of the shoulders and it is tilted backward and upward to keep the airway open. This posture changes the tongue position and keeps the tongue from producing force against the upper arch between the teeth. Lack of this force prohibits the upper jaw development, the teeth come in out of alignment, and the nasal cavity also becomes constricted forcing more mouth breathing. What started out as a problem with the nose has now become a problem with the bite. Orthodontics may be the answer or even treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
Implications for
the children
When kids always breathe through their mouth, it affects the growth and development of their face. The typical profile of the face in people with a history of chronic mouth breathing is a narrow face, a head forward posture, a narrowed or flattened nose, small underdeveloped nostrils and a lower lip shaped in a “pout.”
Things you can do
If you or your child always breathe through your mouth, consult with both your dentist and your medical doctor. The dentist or orthodontist will be concerned with correcting a bad bite and teeth out of alignment as well as obstructive sleep apnea. An allergist or ENT specialist may be needed to remove the tonsils or adenoids. Both the position of the teeth and the size of the airway must be taken into account. Your dentist and physician will work together to help solve the problem. Remember that your health and your child’s health are the most priceless of your possessions.
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Dr. Donald Johnson founded Heartfelt Family Dental in Coeur d’Alene to help patients with their dental needs and live free with no limits! His office is at 114 W. Neider Ave., near Costco. The website for more information is www.heartfeltdental.com and the office phone is 208-667-4551. Schedule an appointment today!