As a speech language pathologist, we care how your child breathes and you should too!! Breathing well, helps the entire body function well! Breathing through your nose also facilitates proper oral facial development which in turn positively impacts feeding and speech development.
Chronic mouth breathing in children has many negative effects including:
Poor oral hygiene-chronic dry mouth resulting in bad breath and tooth decay
Impacted oral facial development-flatter facial features, tired or droopy looking eyes, small/narrow jaw, and forward tongue posture.
Interrupted sleep patterns-chronic mouth breathing can result in sleep disordered breathing or sleep apnea.
Low energy levels-mouth breathing contributes to poor oxygen exchange in the body resulting in lack of energy, poor focus/attention, and ADHD-like symptoms.
Poor dental development- chronic mouth breathing can cause high/narrow dental arches resulting in teeth crowding, malocclusion, and/or TMJ pain.
Why might be causing your child's mouth breathing?
Allergies
Chronic congestion/sinus issues
Enlarged tonsils/adenoids
Enlarged turbinates
Narrow upper arch-upper airway
Tethered oral tissues (tongue/lip/buccal ties)
Oral dysfunction
Deviated septum
If you have concerns about your child chronically mouth breathing, seek out help from a knowledgeable provider. Typically, an ENT is a great professional to seek out to assess airway concerns. If your child is receiving speech or feeding services, discussing your concerns with your child's therapist can also be a great place to start.
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