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Mouth Breathing Effect

1. Oral Health Degeneration: Excessive mouth breathing causes gum diseases and bad breath due to altered bacterial flora. Also, it can lead to hypo tonicity of the upper lip and hyperactivity of the lower lip. It may also stunt dental growth as well as growth of jaw bones, besides making the palate vault higher than usual. Mouth breathing is responsible for compromising the airway by increasing tonsil size and blocking the airway to such an extent that it becomes impossible to breathe through the nose. It also dries the mouth and imparts an adenoid face due to deformed jaws of the affected individual.

2. Weak Immune System: Breathing from the nose produces a tissue hormone which regulates normal blood circulation. It also helps filter, warm and humidify the air. The lack of oxygen in mouth breathers, who are also chronic snorers and struggle for air, weakens the immune system, disrupts sleep cycles, and obstructs the production of growth hormone.

3. Faulty Posture of Head, Neck and Shoulders: Breathing through the mouth instead of the nostrils produces a reflex forward head posture which put undue load on the neck and upper shoulders. Should this load be sustained for a long time, the posture of this area can get altered permanently. This in turn can affect the hips knees and feet.

4. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Many researchers have attributed OSA to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is symptomized by snoring and ADHD. It can occur in adults and snoring is an essential sign of it.

Mouth Breathing in Children 

In children, this type of abnormal breathing might manifest as drooling, sleeping open-mouthed, disturbed sleep, snoring, nasal irritation and obstruction, irritability during the day, etc. The causes of mouth breathing in children can be attributed to the presence of a similar abnormal breathing practice in parents, overfeeding, over clothing, inclusion of junk food and exclusion of nutritional food from the infant's diet, sedentary lifestyle, etc. The effects of mouth breathing in children span a large variety of medical conditions. Prominent among these are allergic rhinitis, malocclusion, enlarged tonsils, higher gingival index levels, facial and postural deformation, bad breath, obstructive nasal septum deviation, etc.

Mouth Breathing While Sleeping 

Breathing through the mouth while sleeping is characterized by snoring and sleep apnea. Both of these are respiratory conditions, besides being individual medical conditions themselves, and may hint towards many other underlying health disorders such as obesity, heart diseases, sleep disorders, etc.

Diagnosis of mouth breathing

History: A good history should be recorded from the patient as well as parents.

Clinical examination: Look out for its various clinical features. A number of simple tests can be carried out to diagnose mouth breathing such as the mirror test, water test etc.

Cephalometrices: Cephalometric examination helps in establishing the amount of nasopharyngeal space, size of adenoids and also helps in diagnosing the long face associated with mouth breathing.

Rhinomanometry: It is the study of nasal air flow characteristics using devices consisting of flow meters and pressure gauges. These devices help in estimation of air flow through the nasal passage and resistance.

Management of mouth breathing

Removal of nasal or pharyngeal obstruction: Any nasal or pharyngeal obstruction should be removed by referring the patient to be E.N.T. surgeon.

Interception of the habit: Mouth breathing can be intercepted by use of a vestibular screen.

Alternatively adhesive tapes can be used to establish lip seal.

Rapid maxillary expansion: Patients with narrow, constricted maxillary arches benefit from rapid palatal expansion procedures aimed at widening the arch. Rapid maxillary expansion has been found to increase the nasal air flow and decrease the nasal air resistance.

Other treatment of myofunctional appliance.