Mouth Breathing Can Cause Major Health Problems

Everyone knows somebody who mouth-breathes due to nasal obstruction... What many may not realize is that chronic mouth-breathing can lead to health problems whether in an adult or child.

Especially in children, over time, whose mouth breathing goes untreated may suffer from abnormal facial and dental development, such as long, narrow faces and mouths, gummy smiles, gingivitis and crooked teeth. The poor sleeping habits that result from mouth breathing can adversely affect growth and academic performance. Many of these children are misdiagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and hyperactivity. In addition, mouth breathing can cause poor oxygen concentration in the bloodstream, which can cause high blood pressure, heart problems, sleep apnea and other medical issues.

These issues were brought up in a recent article in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of General Dentistry.

What can cause nasal obstruction leading to mouth-breathing?

Allergies
Turbinate Hypertrophy
Adenoid Hypertrophy
Nasal Polyps
Deviated Septum

Read more about nasal obstruction here.