Why mouth breathing is bad for your

health?
Aug 31, 2018 | Health, Sleep

Why mouth breathing is bad for your

health?
Aug 31, 2018 | Health, Sleep

At the dental gallery we routinely screen for correct breathing and tongue position during our
regular 6-monthly preventative examinations

The nose is best suited for breathing because it warms, humidifies and filters the air to
prevent bacteria and particles entering the lungs. Mouth breathing leads to chronic irritation
of the airway and can result in enlarged adenoids and tonsils in children.

There are many research studies describing the bad health consequences of mouth breathing.

Here are a few reasons why it is bad to mouth breathe.

Less production of nitric oxide

Nitric oxide is a gas that dilates (makes larger) blood vessels in the body and as a result
increases oxygen uptake by the lungs. This gas is made in the sinuses. By breathing through
your mouth, you’re missing out on production of this gas and also about 10 to 20% of
additional oxygen uptake. As a result, you can compensate by breathing a bit faster and
breathing off carbon dioxide. This can cause your carbon dioxide levels to drop, raising blood
pH levels, and preventing oxygen from being released as easily to your body’s tissues.

It can cause crooked teeth

Breathing through your mouth prevents your face and jaw from developing properly.
Inadequate jaw development can lead to crowding of your teeth and even narrowing of the
upper airway. For children, one of the biggest causes of teeth crowding is habitually
breathing through the mouth rather than the nose.

One extreme example is often referred to as “Adenoid Facies”, which results in an open
mouth and forward head posture, long, narrow face, high arched hard palate, recessed lower
jaw, and chronic nasal congestion. Having a smaller jaw can make you much more
susceptible to future sleep-related breathing disorders.

It can lead to dental cavities

Mouth breathing leads to you having less saliva and a dry mouth. Saliva reduces acid levels,
and can help to prevent plaque build-up. Mouth breathing can also cause you to have bad
breath.

Mouth breathing can cause your tongue to fall backwards in your mouth

Ever wondered why it’s harder for you to breathe when lying down in a dentist’s chair with
your mouth wide open? Opening your mouth causes your tongue to fall back, preventing
proper breathing and in severe cases can obstruct the airway. For adults, the changes to the
airway introduced by mouth-breathing while sleeping can give rise to snoring and sleep
apnoea.

Concerned? Here are some signs of mouth breathing:

 Dry lips
 Having an open mouth posture
 Dry mouth with inflamed gums
 A long and narrow face
 Narrow high arched palate
 Crowded teeth or lack of spacing between baby teeth
 Enlarged tonsils
 Having a forward head posture

Some Common causes of mouth-breathing are:

 Allergies
 Chronic colds and sinus infections
 Enlarged adenoids and/or tonsils
 Nasal polyps
  Deviated nasal septum

So what can be done to address mouth-breathing?

At the dental gallery we take an integrative approach to mouth breathing and work with Ear
Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists and medical professionals to address the causes. This
includes:

 Airway assessment with an ENT specialist

 Assessment and management of chronic allergies and infections
 Breathing retraining

Targeted dental treatment:

In children we can expand the upper jaw and this can allow the tongue to sit properly on the
palate and correct teeth crowding.
In some cases the lower jaw can also be brought forward to improve the airway.
In mouth breathing adults, we can bring the lower jaw forward with a mandibular
advancement splint.

You can reach out to us directly at:

United States and Canada

Toll free: +1877-977-8267

Email: info@openairway.com
Open Airway Dental Solutions
6221 Highway 7, Unit 7
Woodbridge, Ontario L4h OL1

Canada

Australia

Toll free: +61 1300 533 159

Email: info@openairway.au
Open Airway Dental Solutions Australia Pty Ltd
5 Moorak Street, Taringa QLD 4068 Australia