IMPACTS OF MOUTH BREATHING ON A CHILD'S ORAL HEALTH

Believe it or not, mouth breathing isn't okay. It's not something a child will grow out of and it's not just a cute thing little kids do in their sleep. Our bodies were designed to breathe through our noses...not our mouths. Mouth breathing can have long-term health impacts on a child, including on a child's oral health.

Chronic mouth breathing occurs in 10-15% of young children. While the difference in whether your child breathes through their mouth or nose may seem trivial to you, it's actually quite critical to their oral health, long-term health, and overall mental state.

Mouth breathing causes the mouth to dry out, which in turn, creates a damaging effect on the normal process or your oral cavity. A dry mouth means that saliva cannot perform the role it's meant to in your child's mouth. What is the role of saliva? It's there to protect teeth and gums by neutralizing harmful acids. It also acts as a protective barrier, preventing bacteria from growing in the mouth.