Mouth breathing is harmful because it prevents your body from absorbing the required amount of oxygen and destroys your oral health.
Dry mouth/Cavities
Breathing through your mouth at night can cause tooth decay. Saliva has a job, and a dry mouth can change the acidity levels in your saliva, throwing off the pH balance in your mouth. It makes a more corrosive environment for your teeth that can facilitate tooth decay. The lack of saliva production makes it more challenging to wash away harmful bacteria that wear down your enamel.
Gum disease
Open mouth breathing can also affect your gum health because when your mouth is dry, the saliva cannot wash away harmful bacteria on the teeth and gums. It not only causes cavities but can lead to gum disease too. When saliva production is low, bacteria are left to flourish. This bacteria can cause inflammation called gingivitis and, if left untreated, can lead to gum disease.
Change of facial structure
Mouth breathing can lead to facial deformities and crowded teeth with young children. Breathing through your nose helps the facial muscles and bones develop correctly while also developing straight teeth. When the mouth is closed, the tongue is in the proper position to help the jaw grow correctly and teeth to erupt in the right places.
When we breathe through our mouth, our tongue is not resting at the roof of our mouth, resulting in the jaw getting pushed inwards. It can stress the jaw muscle and lead to grinding, TMJ pain, and misalignment of teeth.
Obstructive sleep apnea
Breathing through your nose can reduce your chance of snoring and developing sleep apnea by keeping your tongue in the correct position. Most of the time, mouth breathing is caused by obstruction of the nasal airway, so your body resorts to using the mouth as a source of oxygen through the night. If your nasal airway is blocked, we suggest visiting an ear, nose, and throat doctor to see how you can get your nose clear. We also recommend asking your medical doctor to perform a sleep study.
Signs you are a mouth breather:
- snoring
- dry mouth
- dry, cracked lips
- bad breath
- frequent cavities
- brain fog
- chronic fatigue
- large tonsils
- daytime sleepiness
- crowded teeth
If any of these signs sound familiar, schedule an appointment with your dentist today and follow the tips below to help increase your ability to breathe through your nose
Things you can do to help:
- Taping mouth closed at night
- Chinstrap to keep the mouth closed at night
- Sleep study with a medical doctor
- Seeing an ear, nose, and throat specialist
- Practice nose breathing throughout the day