2024.10.25

Harm of oral breathing

2024.10.25

Harm of oral breathing

Do you notice how you or your child breathes during the day/night? Is breathing through the nose or through the mouth? The question of how we breathe is becoming increasingly important. The way we take in air can have an impact on the position of our teeth, our speech, the development and growth of our children’s faces, the quality of their sleep, and even the energy of the day afterwards! Breathing correctly starts with breathing through the nose. Many of us feel stressed, overworked and over-stimulated in our daily lives. Inhaling and exhaling through the nose helps us to breathe more fully and deeply, which encourages the lower part of the lungs to distribute a greater amount of oxygen throughout the body. In addition, the lower lung is connected to our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming the body and mind. Meanwhile, breathing through the mouth is like our emergency breathing. As part of this process, the upper part of the lungs is working, so the sympathetic nerve receptors encourage us to become more hyperactive and prevent us from falling into a deep sleep. To compensate for the constant drowsiness, our body starts producing more adrenaline. Children are often unable to reach their academic potential due to a lack of concentration, and may be diagnosed with behavioural problems and weakened immune systems. At Craniofacial Physiotherapists, we can help. A particularly effective therapy for oral breathing problems is myofunctional therapy. This is a facial muscle physiotherapy that helps to rebalance the facial muscles, eliminate harmful habits (such as thumb sucking) and teaches correct breathing.

Consequences of persistent mouth breathing:
– Open bite (upper front teeth not in contact with lower front teeth).
– Crowded teeth.
– Narrow upper jaw.
– Elongated, narrow face.
– Upper gums visible when smiling.
– Facial muscles unnaturally tense when trying to clench.

Breathing through the mouth leads to imbalances in the facial muscles and pathological changes in the skull and facial structures, such as the position of the teeth in the dental arch, the position of the lips, the tongue, the jaws, and the shape of the hard palate.

Mouth breathers have:
– Short lower lip.
– Dry, chapped corners of the lips.
– Blackened eyebrows.
– Anterior head position.
– Elevated lower third of the face.
– Elevated angle of the lower jaw.
– Intraorally, deep and narrow palate.
– V-shaped dental arch.
– Lateral crossbite, anterior open bite, increased horizontal overlapping of incisors, predisposition to Angle Class II malocclusion, gingivitis of anterior teeth.

Malocclusion leads to anatomical abnormalities of the temporomandibular joint, which cause malocclusion, joint pain, and a consequent loss of quality of life.
The non-physiological position of the teeth impairs the self-cleaning, protective and chewing functions of the teeth. These disorders lead to bad breath, increased risk of caries, susceptibility to infections and weakened immunity. Speech may be impaired.
How do I know if I am breathing through my mouth?

While you can notice and control it yourself during the day, it is much harder to notice if your mouth is open during the night. Ask your relatives to notice you sleeping. If this is not possible, look out for several signs:

– Dry oral mucosa.
– Snoring.
– Dark eye circles.
– Bad breath.
– Hoarseness (in the morning, just after waking up).
– “Brain fog” (impaired concentration, memory problems).
– You wake up feeling tired and irritable.

If you notice even 2 signs that look like you, we recommend that you don’t delay in contacting specialists.

Causes of mouth breathing:

– Obstructive sleep apnoea.
– Childhood habits (long pacifier use, finger sucking).
– Irregular tongue position.
– Enlarged adenoids.
– Chronic allergies.
– Crooked nasal septum.
– Tumours.
– Genetic abnormalities.

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