There are several reasons a child may be breathing through his mouth rather than his nose. The following are a few reasons for such altered breathing pattern:
Allergic rhinitis, where the nasal mucosa swells and blocks the flow of air through the nose, forces the child to breathe through his mouth. Most allergens that can cause this are usually airborne particles, such as smoke, foods and pets.
While there is a genetic inclination to develop allergies, research has shown that early treatment of allergic disease can alter the course of allergic symptoms for a lifetime.
The adenoids and tonsils may be enlarged in response to infection of the nose and sinuses. Since allergy predisposes to infection, allergies should be controlled before the adenoids and tonsils are removed. It is best to follow the recommendations of your pediatrician or your allergist for the best time to remove enlarged tonsils or adenoids
Asthmas, nasal polyps, foreign bodies, deviated nasal septa, are among other reasons a child may have difficulty breathing through his nose.
Treatment of nasal airway obstruction and mouth breathing should involve a multi-disciplined approach. The orthodontist is uniquely qualified to monitor the growing face and treat an undesirable growth pattern, with growth modification techniques. Dr. Saba has been actively involved with treating children with mouth breathing conditions in Loudoun County for the past eight years. She works very closely with other health care professionals such as otolaryngologists, allergists, and pediatricians ensuring early detection and treatment of breathing conditions.
Research suggests that an altered respiratory pattern, such as breathing through the mouth rather than the nose, could change the posture of the head, jaw and tongue. This in turn can affect the growing face. The alterations will occur in the muscles associated with the face, jaws, tongue and neck. The abnormal pull of these muscle groups on bones of the face and jaws slowly deforms these bones, eventually creating an open bite, where the front teeth cannot meet when the mouth is completely closed. The earlier in life this abnormal breathing condition takes place, the greater the alterations in facial growth will be.
The greatest increments of growth occur during the earliest years of life. By age nine most of the growth of the upper jaw in a forward and lateral direction is completed, and by twelve, 90 percent of the growth of the lower jaw has already occurred. Consequently, if a child has chronic nasal obstruction during the early critical growing years, facial deformities result, some subtle, some more noticeable. An Orthodontist is a dental specialist who is trained to diagnose and treat such conditions early on to avoid future complications that would require radical treatments such as jaw surgery.
If mouth breathing is not detected and/or treated early in childhood, by adolescence, the undesirable changes in growth of the facial skeleton, i.e. skeletal open bite, will manifest itself. The condition described as skeletal open bite is characterized by excessive vertical growth of the upper jaw (especially in the back of the mouth), coupled with backward rotation of the lower jaw, as well as excessive eruption of upper and lower molars. This type of open bite can be treated by an orthodontist, before the growth of the facial skeleton is complete. The treatment involves a growth modification strategy using extraoral appliances, or intraoral removable appliances to achieve ideal results.
Dr. Saba recommends examining all children no later than age seven for an orthodontic evaluation. Her goal is to eliminate all habits and any unusual breathing patterns before adolescence. Dr. Saba believes that significant growth modification is possible only in patients who are still growing actively, i.e. prior to loss of all baby teeth.
For more information contact Dr. Saba at her orthodontic office or call (703) 404-SABA (7222) for a complimentary orthodontic evaluation!
