How to STOP Mouth Breathing Naturally | Dentist Explained (2021)
Breathing through your nose is more beneficial for the body. Some of the benefits of nose breathing are:
The nasal passage helps filter the air that passes through it and clears away any small particles such as pollen.
The nose increases the moisture in the air to prevent dryness in the airway.
The nose warms up the air before passing it to the lungs.
Nose breathing increases resistance to the air which then increases the oxygen uptake within the lungs.
Mouth breathing is a kind of dysfunctional breathing; it doesn’t fulfil the criteria for optimal breathing. But what is optimal breathing and how does it differ from a dysfunctional breathing pattern? The table below will help you understand the differences.Mouth breathing leads to central nervous system fatigue. This negatively impacts your brain creating issues like ADHD and sleep-related disorders. Research has shown that mouth breathing increases the oxygen load in your prefrontal cortex, the area of your brain that controls social behaviour, decision making, and personality expression. Disruption of this area can, therefore, cause multiple issues including ADHD.
Mouth breathing in children can lead to several problems including crooked or crowded teeth, dry mouth, speech impediments, and facial deformities. A mouth breathing child can also face difficulties in normal growth and development.
What’s the relationship between mouth breathing and facial structure? The faces of mouth breathers can take on some unusual features and shapes. This condition is known as long face syndrome. This syndrome occurs because of an overgrowth of the upper jaw due to mouth breathing. Normally, the tongue rests on your upper palate and ensures that your jaw grows sufficiently wide. In a mouth breather, the tongue rests on the lower palate and allows free entry of air which results in vertical growth of the jaw with a much higher and narrower upper palate, resulting in a long face and crooked teeth that often require orthodontic intervention.Research has identified the following effects of mouth breathing. Many people experience multiple symptoms as a result of breathing through their mouth:
Dry mouth and cracked lips
Nasal obstruction
Bad breath
Frequent infections of the throat and ears
Persistent outbreaks of oral thrush (candida)
Misalignment of teeth
Speech impediments
Improper facial growth
Chewing difficulties
History of dental problems like gingivitis and dental caries
Snoring
Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea
Poor concentrationOrthognathic surgery is typically recommended when patients have severe jaw problems that inhibit their ability to function properly and negatively affect their oral health. Often, it’s the final recommendation after all other methods have been exhausted.
Patients who are prone to mouth breathing can do damage to their jaw that actually changes their appearance. Long, narrow faces and narrow mouths are two examples. This is commonly noticed in the development years and will likely carry through to adulthood without intervention.
Since the function of the teeth and jaws is essential to oral and overall health, jaw surgery can be exactly what some patients need. It realigns the teeth and jaws to restore and optimize their function resulting in enhanced facial aesthetics and improved breathing, chewing and speech.
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