Do You Breath Through Your Mouth?

Mouth breathing happens all the time in adults and children. It usual happens when the nasal passage is obstructed due to a cold, deviated septum do to trauma or even a congenital condition but it can also happen due to taking certain medications.

Although mouth breathing may not seem like a big deal, it can actually cause many health risks including your dental health.

Here are they ways mouth breathing can affect your dental health:

Dry Mouth - Salivary glands don't make enough saliva to keep the mouth moist.

Skeletal deformities in children - Mouth breathing promotes the growth of the upper jaw, rather than the lower jaw causing a large overbite and "gummy" smile.

Red/inflamed gums - Mouth breathing causes the soft gum tissues to dry out. causing bleeding and possible cavities.

Bad breath - The lack of saliva produced isn't rinsing out the bacteria as well as it should.

If you start to notice yourself or your child breathing through their mouth  on a regular basis its time to visit a ENT (ears, nose and throat doctor) to see if there is a nasal obstruction.  Also visit your dentist for a exam to make sure there is no damage to your teeth and you have a healthy mouth!