Why is chronic mouth breathing dangerous?
Chronic mouth breathing is dangerous, as it affects oral and overall health, changes facial shape, and impacts posture.
Mouth breathing often starts in childhood and can lead to a range of health problems later on. Breathing through the nose, rather than the mouth, matters because the nose acts as a kind of filter, cleaning, humidifying, and warming the air we breathe in. To reduce mouth breathing, it’s important to identify the root cause, which can be linked to an airway obstruction (enlarged adenoids), an incorrect bite, chronic nasal congestion, or trauma.
Problems caused by mouth breathing:
Mouth breathing affects oral and overall health
When the mouth stays constantly open, it becomes very dry — saliva can no longer adequately protect the teeth through its natural cleaning action. As a result, mouth breathers develop more tooth and gum disease. Chronic gum inflammation, in turn, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
An incorrect resting position of the tongue in the mouth can cause nighttime breathing disturbances, such as snoring. As we fall asleep, the whole body relaxes, including the muscles of the soft palate, tongue, and throat. Incoming airflow causes these relaxed tissues to vibrate — and the narrower the airway, the louder the snoring sound. Over time, this can develop into a dangerous condition called sleep apnoea, involving pauses in breathing during sleep.
Mouth breathing changes facial shape
Over time, mouth breathers tend to develop a longer facial shape and flatter cheekbones. When breathing through the mouth, the tongue can’t rest against the roof of the mouth, which is its correct resting position. This, in turn, can lead to insufficient jawbone growth, since the jaws simply don’t get enough stimulation to grow properly. With too little space, teeth can start growing crowded and crooked. Lip shape can change too — mouth breathers often find it difficult to keep their lips properly closed together.
Mouth breathing affects posture
Chronic mouth breathing changes posture. When the lower jaw is constantly held back, the tongue also shifts backward in the mouth, taking up more space in the throat. To create more room in the airway, the head shifts forward, which the body compensates for with an increased curve in the lower back. Beyond affecting appearance, poor posture can also cause a range of health issues, such as muscle tension.
Which symptoms should you watch for?
Everyone breathes through their mouth from time to time — that alone doesn’t count as mouth breathing. We can only really talk about mouth breathing when someone breathes through their mouth almost constantly. To prevent more serious problems, children should be monitored from an early age. Extra vigilance is warranted with premature babies, who have low muscle tone. For children, the simplest thing to check is whether their lips stay in contact with each other at rest.
It’s also important to check breathing during sleep. If the lips are often open, breathing is audible, or snoring occurs, nasal airway obstruction may be the cause. In childhood, mouth breathing is most often caused by enlarged adenoids or allergic rhinitis. Children who frequently suffer from upper respiratory illnesses are also worth watching more closely. A child with a runny nose lasting more than ten days should see a family doctor. The sooner nasal breathing is restored, the better. It’s also worth knowing that mouth breathing can persist as a habit even after the underlying airway obstruction has resolved.
If mouth breathing is allowed to continue, a child will start developing bite problems. Orthodontic treatment is a long and complex process, but if mouth breathing continues and the tongue stays in the wrong position, the results of orthodontic treatment may not hold. That’s why it’s important to start restoring nasal breathing before, or alongside, orthodontic treatment. Myofunctional therapists working at Unimed clinics teach patients how to breathe through the nose, position the tongue correctly, and swallow properly.
Correct breathing takes practice
In adults, mouth breathing can develop, for example, as a result of trauma causing a nasal airway obstruction. It can also simply be a bad habit, since breathing through the mouth can feel easier. In most cases, though, mouth breathing in adults traces back to childhood. When trying to correct it, it’s worth keeping in mind that bone growth can no longer be influenced to the same extent as in childhood — but it’s still possible to start training yourself. This involves paying attention to your breathing and breathing through the nose as much as possible. It’s also recommended to do this during light aerobic exercise, whether that’s brisk walking or jogging. If nasal breathing doesn’t become easier despite practice, or is accompanied by discomfort, it’s worth seeing a family doctor, who can refer you on to an orthodontist, ENT specialist, or sleep specialist if needed.
