Here are the 7 common characteristics that can help you identify if you or your child are a mouth breather…
- Dry chapped lips
- Open lip/mouth rest posture
- Bad breath
- Allergies
- Venous Pooling
- Scalloped tongue
- Vertical growth of crania-facial features
“Why should we worry about mouth breathing and what is so wrong with it?
It’s quite simple: inhaling through the mouth decreases pressure causing the soft tissue at the back of the mouth to become loose and starts to flex inwards — causing less airway space for optimal breathing.
This makes breathing more difficult and causes further mouth breathing.
And so the cycle repeats itself…
Nasal breathing on the other hand has the opposite effect…
It forces air against the soft tissue at the back of the throat, making it wider and more patent. This makes breathing easier and causes more nasal breathing — repeating the cycle.
Nasal breathing is also better for our holistic health as it purifies the air and reduces the number of pathogens we inhale, meaning we are less prone to getting sick.
Mouth breathing on the other hand can dry out the oral cavity causing dry mouth, lips and throat. Plaque starts building up and hardening on the tooth surface which can cause stains that can be difficult to remove.
Mouth breathing may also cause craniofacial structure deformities or non-optimal growth in children such as crooked teeth. It can alter the muscles of the jaw, face, tongue and neck too. And it can also be associated with a decrease in oxygen intake into the lungs which can cause a lack of energy or fatigue, especially during exercise.
Bad breathing caused by mouth breathing can also cause bad breath and gum disease, worsening the symptoms of other conditions such as allergies, sinus or rhinitis.
