Your breathing may affect your oral health, sleep quality, and overall health, but most people pay little attention to it. Sometimes, mouth breathing can be due to a cold, allergies, or a nasal obstruction, but if it happens often, it can cause several health problems.
Therefore, why is mouth breathing bad? Your nose filters, warms, and humidifies the air you inhale before it gets to your lungs. Not breathing normally through the nose will inhibit some of these protective barriers. This can cause dry mouth, dental problems, sleep disturbances, and more over time.
Daily Smiles offers a variety of tips on how habits impact teeth, gums, and oral health that will help you make healthier choices when it comes to your oral hygiene routine.
Is Mouth Breathing Bad?
Mouth breathing is a common occurrence, and a wide range of questions come to mind: is mouth breathing bad, particularly if it is primarily at night? It is not always a serious issue if the child breathes out of his mouth once in a while. For instance, if you have nasal congestion and cannot breathe normally, you may use a mouthpiece to breathe for a while.
But if breathing through the mouth is chronic, it can become an issue. Your nose has a few very important jobs to do. It cleanses the air of dust, allergens, and other particles while increasing moisture before it reaches your lungs. Mouth breathing doesn’t offer the same type of filtration or humidification.
This can cause frequent breathing through the mouth, which can lead to dry mouth and several oral health issues.
How Bad Is Mouth Breathing?
When the question is raised about how bad mouth breathing is, the answer will typically depend on how often it occurs and the cause of mouth breathing. If mouth breathing occurs occasionally and is caused by temporary congestion, it should pass as soon as the problem is resolved.
But chronic mouth breathing, especially at night, can have an impact on oral health and sleep. Some people may not even be aware that they breathe through their mouth during sleep. They may experience a sore throat, tiredness despite a full night’s sleep, bad breath, cracked lips, or a dry mouth when they wake.
Children who breathe through their mouth regularly should also be assessed, as chronic mouth breathing can sometimes be related to nasal obstruction, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, allergies, and other airway issues.
Negative Effects of Mouth Breathing
There are several negative effects of mouth breathing, particularly if it is done for a prolonged time.
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Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is one of the most frequent effects of mouth breathing.
Saliva is important in protecting the teeth and gums. It helps to clear away oral mucus, neutralize acids, and control bacteria in the mouth. With mouth breathing, saliva is unavailable to protect your teeth.
This means there is an environment that is less humid and can be more conducive to the growth of harmful bacteria. Discomfort when eating, drinking, and speaking may occur as well, due to the chronic dry mouth.
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Increased Risk of Tooth Decay
Another reason why mouth breathing is bad is because of how it can impact tooth decay. Saliva is the body’s natural defence mechanism against tooth enamel damage that results from the production of acids by bacteria. As saliva dries out, this protection is also reduced.
As time passes, those who have chronic dry mouth may be more prone to getting cavities, especially if they don’t clean their teeth well or eat a lot of sugary foods and beverages. This can be reduced by brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and regular check-ups at the dentist.
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Bad Breath
Bad breath is another common problem associated with mouth breathing. Dry mouth provides more time for bacteria and food particles to stay in the mouth. These bacteria can be a source of foul odors. Night breathing, or breathing through the mouth, may be a factor in your bad breath and very dry mouth.
Drinking sufficient water, proper oral hygiene, tongue cleaning, and determining the cause of mouth breathing may help alleviate symptoms.
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Gum Problems
One possible cause of mouth breathing is irritation and inflammation of the gums. If the gums are exposed to dry air all the time, especially in the front teeth area, they could get dry and irritated.
This can be combined with plaque and may help cause red, swollen, or bleeding gums. Brushing, flossing, regular professional dental cleanings, and managing chronic dry mouth are crucial to gum health.
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Sleep Problems
Sometimes poor quality sleep is correlated with mouth breathing. Those who breathe out of their mouths while sleeping can snore or wake up often as well. In some instances, chronic mouth breathing can be linked with nasal blockage or with sleep-related breathing disorders.
A lack of quality sleep can result in fatigue in the day, a poor concentration span, irritability and/or headaches. If mouth breathing coincides with loud snoring, choking or gasping during sleep, or excessive daytime sleepiness, see a health care professional for advice.
Effects of Mouth Breathing on Teeth and Jaw Development
The effects of mouth breathing may affect the development of the face and jaw – particularly in childhood. Over time, some mouth breathing can be accompanied by alterations in tongue position, facial muscle movement, and dental occlusion.
As children grow, some with chronic airway obstruction can develop oral or orthodontic issues. But there are other issues that can impact facial and dental development other than mouth breathing. Other factors such as genetics, oral habits, airway anatomy, and other factors can also contribute. When the parents of a child notice excessive mouth breathing, they should discuss this with the pediatrician, dentist, or other appropriate specialist.
What Causes Mouth Breathing?
Understanding the cause is important when addressing persistent mouth breathing problems.
Common possible causes include:
- Nasal congestion from a cold
- Seasonal or environmental allergies
- Sinus problems
- A deviated nasal septum
- Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
- Nasal polyps
- Habitual mouth breathing
- Structural airway problems
Sometimes, breathing through the mouth starts due to temporary congestion but persists after the congestion subsides. If the mouth breathing continues, a medical or dental doctor can be helpful in determining the cause.
How Can Mouth Breathing Be Reduced?
Treatment is based on the cause. If an allergy or nasal blockage causes nasal breathing, then treating the allergy or nasal blockage will help improve breathing. If there is a structural obstruction, some people may require an evaluation by a doctor or an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
It is especially important for people who have dry mouth to practice good oral care. Some good strategies include drinking the right quantity of water, brushing twice a day, flossing daily, cutting down on too many sugary drinks, and regular dental check-ups.
Do not try to close your mouth while sleeping, or tape your mouth closed without the supervision of a medical professional, particularly if you struggle with breathing through your nose, if you snore, or if you think you may have a sleep-related breathing disorder.
When Should You Seek Professional Advice?
If mouth breathing is occasional and due to a cold, then it is usually temporary. But if mouth breathing occurs on a frequent basis or if there are other symptoms, you should seek expert advice.
Some symptoms are dry mouth that doesn’t go away, frequent tooth decay, receding gums, allergies that affect the nose, nasal trouble breathing, loud snoring, poor sleep, and fatigue. If a child breathes through their mouth constantly during sleep and/or when awake, this needs to be investigated to determine whether there is a problem with the airway.
Final Thoughts
So, why is mouth breathing bad? Constant mouth breathing may lead to a decrease in saliva production in the mouth, dry mouth, and an increased risk of dental issues, as well as an increase in bad breath, gum irritation, and discomfort in sleeping.
The negative effects of mouth breathing can impact different people in different ways and will rely heavily on the cause. Rather than just addressing the habit, it is important to know the underlying reason for the difficulty in nasal breathing to find the right answer. Other measures that help prevent the effects of mouth breathing on the teeth and gums include proper oral hygiene and regular dental visits.
To learn more about oral health, preventive dentistry, and a better smile, please visit dailysmiles.com.
