Undoubtedly most of the parents will worry when they see that their child has mouth breathing habits. Moreover, they don’t know the ways to stop mouth breathing in children.
However it should be noted that we have two air passage to breathe- the nose and the mouth. Obviously breathing through the nose is ideal because nose act as a filter and prevents more particles including Pollen from reaching the lungs. Besides that the nose also warms up the air inhaled and prevents dryness in the lungs.Whereas breathing through the mouth only can lead to some problems.
How can you know that you are breathing through your mouth?
People who breathe through their mouth will definitely have the following symptoms. Jaw growth will be affected, Snoring dry lips, Dry mouth, Bad breath, dental problems, Stuffy nose, When observing the pattern of breathing we can see that mouth breathers will keep their lips apart and nose breathers will have their lips touching lightly while breathing.
Causes of Mouth-Breathing
There are a number of reasons that force the person to breathe through the mouth rather than the nose. It can be categorized as habitual anatomic and obstructive.
Habitual
Some people may actually breathe through their mouth. This can have serious implications on the development of facial structures.Moreover Stress and Anxiety will also cause mouth breathing
Obstructive cause
Without a doubt If your nose is blocked, you will not be able to breathe through the nose. In other words your nose can be blocked in the following cases.
- Nasal congestion
- Nasal polyps
- Tumors
- Allergy
- Enlarged tonsils
- Enlarged adenoids
- Sinusitis
- Asthma
Anatomic causes
- Deviated nasal septum
- Short or incompetent lips
- Certain syndromes
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- Short face
Also Read : Causes of Discolored Baby Teeth
Effects of mouth-breathing on Dental structures
- Increased facial height
- Retrognathic lower jaw
- Narrow face
- V-shaped palate
- Proclination of Upper Front Teeth
- Constricted upper Arch
- Decreased vertical overlap of Front Teeth
- Compromised speech or nasal tone in voice
- Inflamed gums
Treatment Consideration to Stop Mouth Breathing in Children
ENT examination to rule out any conditions affecting nasal septum or adenoids
Correction of mouth-breathing
However Dental correction should be done during mixed dentition period
- Elimination of the cause:- Elimination of nasal or pharyngeal obstruction if existing.
- Interception of habit
- With the help of lip exercises
Done in the morning and night. Deep breathing exercises with a deep inhalation through the nose with arms raised sideways. After a short period arms are dropped to the sides and the exhalation of air through the nose.
- Lip exercises
In the case of short upper lips, the child is given instruction to extend the upper lip to cover the lower lip.
- Myotherapy
- Use of oral screen:- With the help of a dentist fabricate an oral screen to overcome the problem.
- Correction of dental abnormality with the help of removable or Fixed Dental appliances
Bottom Line
Parents should take initiative to identify these at an early age to avoid complex treatment in future