*Clinical expertise provided by: Dr. Sulin Quak & Dr. Ivan Prabowo
Have you noticed that your child seems to be breathing through their mouth? If your child is a mouth breather, it would be a good idea to see a paediatric dentist to determine whether this is a habit or a cause for concern.
What Causes Mouth Breathing in Children?
One of the most common causes of mouth breathing is a blocked nose due to allergies, a cold, or a sinus infection. These can obstruct their airways, forcing them to breathe through their mouths instead.
There may also be other causal factors at play:
- Enlarged tonsils and adenoids: Swollen or infected tissues block the back of the nose and throat, resulting in children opening their mouth to breathe.
- Nasal congestion: Frequent colds, allergies and sinus infections causes inflammation and mucus buildup in the nose, obstructing the nasal airway.
- Sleep apnea: This condition causes you to stop breathing due to obstructed airways, and can cause snoring and mouth breathing.
- Deviated septum: Nasal cartilage and bone dividing the inside of the nose may be deviated to one side, partially narrowing and blocking your child’s airway.
- Nasal polyps: These are growths in the nose’s lining that could obstruct normal airflow.
- Habitual open mouth posture: After recurrent illnesses or allergies, your child may habitually start mouth breathing out of routine, which can also cause other issues, such as bad breath, dry mouth, and ulcers.
Common Signs & Symptoms of Mouth Breathing in Children
Does your child exhibit any of the following signs? These could indicate that your child is frequently breathing through their mouth:
- Habitual open mouth posture
- Dark eye circles caused by restricted nasal blood flow and poor sleep
- Chronic bad breath
- Dry mouth, chapped lips
- Snoring
- Restless sleep, with sleepiness or irritability during the day
- Drooling while asleep
- Teeth grinding when asleep
- Altered facial development (long, narrow facial structure with receding chin)
- Inflamed gums
- Dental crowding
Seeing a dentist early can be instrumental in preventing further complications as your child grows older.
How Mouth Breathing in Your Child Affects Their Dental and Facial Growth
For your developing child, nose breathing is important for various reasons. For one, the air drawn in from nose breathing is warmed, filtered (to remove dust, toxins, allergens, and other particles), and humidified before entering the lungs. Moreover, the air reaches the lungs at an optimal pressure, promoting healthy blood circulation and oxygen delivery.
In contrast, mouth breathing forces air to bypass these natural filters, allowing drier, less filtered air into the lungs and increasing the risk of infection or other complications. This could result in various changes that impact your child’s breathing and overall development.
Mouth breathing can result in poorer oral health. Mouth breathing dries out saliva, which normally keeps the mouth moist, supports chewing and swallowing, and washes away bacteria. With less saliva, bacteria can linger on the teeth. If this persists, it could lead to gingivitis and tooth decay.
Mouth breathing could also lead to gradual changes to your child’s oral structure. It could lead to altered facial development and a host of orthodontic complications as they grow older. When children consistently breathe through their mouths, it forces the tongue to drop to the bottom of the mouth instead of resting on the palate. The jaw and face become narrowed and elongated, and bite misalignments (e.g, crossbites) and dental crowding may result. Such changes make it difficult for your child to chew and eat efficiently, maintain their oral health, and may even have effects on dentofacial aesthetics and their self-esteem.
It will require early orthodontic interventions or other corrective procedures and therapy to treat these changes.
How We Support Your Child’s Oral and Developmental Health
At Le By An Dental, we aim to provide thorough oral care to support your child’s overall well-being as they grow, ensuring their dental health and development are well cared for. If you are concerned that your child is subconsciously mouth-breathing fairly often, we can help diagnose their condition and develop a suitable management plan.
Dental Examination
A dental examination is crucial for identifying oral issues early, before they progress. The assigned dentist will examine your child and ask questions about their overall oral and general health.
Once the dentist confirms that your child is mouth-breathing, they will explain the suitable treatment options. You can use this time to ask questions, learn more about the treatments, and alleviate any concerns or doubts you may have.
Treating Dental Complications from Mouth Breathing
If mouth breathing results in dental health and orthodontic complications, treatment will depend on the underlying cause, its severity, your child’s age, and other factors.
Regular Preventive Dental Care
Mouth breathing may increase the risk of gingivitis and tooth decay. Regular dental cleaning and check-ups will help to detect and treat these problems early before they progress to more severe complications. The dentist may also direct you to an appropriate medical professional to treat the underlying cause of mouth breathing (for e.g., allergies or nasal congestion).
Growth Modulation
Growth modulation involves the use of dental appliances to guide and optimize your child’s facial and jaw growth during specific developmental windows. It can also correct deviated growth patterns that are a result of mouth breathing. It reduces the severity of malocclusion, improves dentofacial aesthetics and possibly prevents the need for additional orthodontic interventions, such as braces or surgery in the future.
Mouth Guards
Teeth grinding may also contribute to mouth breathing, so your child may be fitted with a mouth guard to wear at night to prevent grinding or clenching while they sleep. These mouth guards are custom-fitted to your child’s mouth for a comfortable fit that helps protect their teeth.
Braces/Aligners
Braces and Aligners are a common treatment for misaligned teeth, gaps, and bite problems. They work by applying gentle pressure to your child’s teeth, gradually moving them and correcting the bite into proper alignment. Follow-up appointments every 4 to 8 weeks allow the dentist to monitor progress and adjust the braces or aligners; ensuring gentle pressure continues to guide the teeth into their ideal position. Tooth movement will stop once all the teeth are in their proper position and any bite issues have been corrected.
If you would like to learn more about treating and managing your child’s mouth breathing, feel free to contact Le By An Dental to schedule a consultation.
