9 Signs That Your Child Is Sleeping Or Breathing With An Open Mouth Written By: Dr. Ankita Shah, Jan 2021
Mouth breathing is a Sleep Breathing Disorder which can have serious effects on your child’s health. A healthy breathing pattern is inhaling and exhaling through the nose with a closed mouth always. Our nose is designed to warm and filter the air to remove any particulate matter. If the nose is not functioning, the normal balance between the nose and the oral cavity is disturbed Mouth Breathing in children is a lot more serious than we used to think.
HOW DO IDENTIFY IF YOUR CHILD IS MOUTH BREATHING?
Have ever noticed your child breathing with an open mouth? It may happen when eating, sleeping or watching TV. It’s common to think that your child will grow out of this habit but it is important for parents to look for signs of mouth breathing in your child as they may not be able to communicate their symptoms like adults.
1) DRY MOUTH AND LIPS
Mouth breathers always show signs of a dry mouth and dry cracked lips. Waking up to drink water is a give-away sign. It also increases the risk of cavities and inflamed gums.
2) BAD BREATH
A dry mouth increases the incidence of bad breath.
3) ASTHMA AND ALLERGIC COLD
Mouth breathing will increase the risk of frequent allergies and cold since we are not using the nose that acts as a natural filter for the air we breathe. Mouth breathing also decreases the oxygen concentration and lung function which exacerbates asthma.
4) JAW AND TEETH CHANGES
If your mouth is open the tongue rests in a forward and downward position. This causes a constant pressure on the jaws which affects the alignment of teeth and jaw development. The palate also becomes narrow and is quite high which gives an appearance of long narrow face with small receding chins. They have a very characteristic gummy smile.
5) INCORRECT SWALLOWING
To breathe better with this disturbed jaw development the tongue moves forward and develops what is called an abnormal ‘tongue thrust swallow’. Those with a tongue thrust may also sometimes have speech disorders. A persistent open mouth posture may also be associated with weakness and shortening of the lip muscles.
6) POSTURE CHANGES
In need to create an airway, the classical first aid measure is the head tilt. Generally such children will show a forward neck and shoulder posture to maximise air intake. This eventually affects the neck, shoulders, back and pelvis over time.
7) POOR SLEEP
Mouth breathing allows less oxygen to reach the brain and this in turn leads to sleep disorders. You will often notice children to feel sleepy through the day or fatigued or are less active or have a poor ability to concentrate. It’s a sign for you to visit an oral myofunctional therapist and a pediatric dentist.
8) BEHAVIOUR CHANGES
It is very important to understand the mouth-body connection. Oxygen deprivation due to mouth breathing can put your child at a risk of ADHD. Many children with hyperactivity and attention deficit are often misdiagnosed and may have a sleep breathing disorder.
9) TEETH GRINDING
Lack of oxygen to the brain leads to compromised breathing which signals the brain to move the jaw forward and the child grinds his/her teeth. It is a sign that your brain is trying to open the airway. Sleep is crucial for your child’s brain growth and the dental health is a great sign of this.
HOW TO TREAT MOUTH BREATHING?
The approach depends on the cause, of course. Possible treatments for mouth breathing can include oral myofunctional therapy i.e mouth and tongue exercises that can be practiced at home with some oral appliances to expand the upper jaw. If the mouth and tongue are not treated, you are likely to experience a relapse after braces.
If this sounds like your kid, it’s time to schedule a kids dentistry appointment who provide an oral myofunctional therapy. Most of us don’t realize that mouth breathing is a complex health concern that can lead to sleep disorders, poor facial growth and a compromised quality of life. Don’t forget losing function of an organ like a nose has consequences. Don’t leave mouth breathing untreated.
Yes, that’s right. We are actually born to breathe through our noses, not our mouths!
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Keywords : mouth breather, snoring, tongue thrust, OMT, sleep apnea, sleep disorders