Chronic Mouth Breathing

All humans are primarily nasal breathers, except in the case when there is a need for increased oxygen intake. Chronic mouth breathing may be the result of a deviated nasal septum, inflammation of nasal tissue, enlarged adenoidal tissue or a combination of the above.

Chronic mouth breathing may cause adverse changes in facial growth and development. Typically the skeletal changes include: a deficient upper jaw in width due to the contraction of masticatory muscles and a more downward growth of the lower jaw causing a skeletal openbite as a result of the contractions of the suprahyoid muscle.

Dental changes include excessive eruption of the molars, which in turn cause a counter clockwise rotation in the lower jaw, causing an increased overjet and more of a downward and backward change of the lower jaw.All of the above changes contribute to adverse facial esthetics. Frontally, the mid-face appears narrow and deficient and the lower facial height increases. Thus, the face becomes doliocephalic (or oval) and in profile, the face is extremely convex and the lower jaw is recessive. An orthodontic and a pediatric E.N.T. consultation at an early age may prevent the above changes.