Occasional mouth breathing is common in children, especially during a cold, the flu, or allergy season, and it’s usually nothing to worry about. But mouth breathing should be temporary. If it continues after the stuffy nose clears, it can dry out your child’s mouth and may affect how their teeth and jaws develop.
The Center for Pediatric Dental Health can help you and your child if mouth breathing turns into an ongoing habit. We can show you how ongoing mouth breathing can affect your child’s mouth and let you know when it’s time to bring in your pediatrician or another specialist.
How Does Mouth Breathing Affect Your Child’s Teeth?
Breathing through the mouth dries it out, which keeps saliva from doing its important job. Saliva rinses away bacteria that attack gums and enamel, helping protect against tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.
When mouth breathing causes dry mouth, bacteria can build up more easily. That can raise your child’s risk of cavities, and their gums may become red, swollen, and irritated.
Extra bacteria can also worsen your child’s breath. Other factors can cause bad breath too, so see a pediatric dentist if it persists or worsens.
How Does Mouth Breathing Affect Jaw Development?
Tongue position plays a role in early jaw development. When a child breathes through the nose with their mouth closed, the tongue usually rests against the roof of the mouth (the palate), which helps guide upper jaw growth. When a child breathes through the mouth, the tongue often rests low in the mouth instead.
Without the tongue’s guidance, the upper jaw may develop narrower, with a higher palate. A narrow jaw can leave less room for all the teeth, which can lead to crowding as the adult teeth come in. Researchers have found a connection between mouth breathing and these changes, though more high-quality research is needed to understand exactly how much mouth breathing contributes. A review in Frontiers in Public Health, The impact of mouth breathing on dentofacial development, explains the research in more scientific detail.
Other habits can affect jaw development too, including long-term pacifier use and thumb sucking. Most children should stop both by around age 3. Our guide on when to stop using a pacifier has tips.
What Causes Mouth Breathing in Children?
Some of the most common causes are temporary: a cold, the flu, or allergies. These are hard to avoid every year, so when they hit, your child will likely breathe through their mouth while dealing with a stuffed-up nose and blocked sinuses.
It becomes a concern when mouth breathing doesn’t stop. Congestion from chronic allergies, enlarged tonsils, or enlarged adenoids can keep your child from breathing properly through their nose.
What Are the Signs of Mouth Breathing in Children?
How do you know if your child is breathing through their mouth at night instead of their nose? Snoring is an obvious sign, but not every mouth breather snores. Other clues include:
- Chapped or dry lips
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Restless or poor sleep
- A mouth that hangs open at rest
- Daytime tiredness, trouble focusing, or mood changes from lack of sleep
These signs can have other causes, so mention them to your pediatrician or pediatric dentist if you notice them. Ongoing snoring or mouth breathing during sleep can also sometimes be linked to sleep-disordered breathing, which is another reason to bring it up with your child’s doctor.
What Can I Do About My Child’s Mouth Breathing?
Bring up your concerns at your child’s regular dental checkup so their dentist can monitor tooth and jaw development. (Not sure how often to go? See when your child should see a dentist.) The Center for Pediatric Dental Health can check whether your child’s palate is developing normally and whether their breathing may be affecting their oral health.
You’ll also want to talk with your child’s pediatrician to find out why your child isn’t breathing well through their nose. Depending on the cause, solutions can range from managing allergies to an evaluation by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist for enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
FAQs About Mouth Breathing in Children
Is occasional mouth breathing during a cold or allergy season something to worry about?
Usually not. Mouth breathing is normal when your child’s nose is stuffy. If it continues after the cold or allergy season ends, talk to your pediatrician about checking for swollen tonsils or adenoids. Frequent ear infections or sore throats can also signal tonsil or adenoid problems.
Can mouth breathing change how my child’s face and jaws develop?
It can contribute. Mouth breathing changes tongue position, which may lead to a narrow upper jaw and a high palate. A narrow palate can cause crowding once the adult teeth come in. Other factors also play a role, so if you’re concerned about how your child’s jaws are developing, ask your dentist whether an orthodontic evaluation makes sense.
Can treating mouth breathing early prevent the need for braces later?
We can’t promise that. Genetics, thumb sucking, and other factors also affect teeth and jaws, and some children need orthodontic treatment regardless. However, addressing the cause of mouth breathing early may help lower the risk of a narrow palate, which could require orthodontic correction.
When should I talk to a dentist about my child’s mouth breathing?
If mouth breathing continues after a cold or allergy flare-up, or if you notice signs like snoring, dry lips, or a mouth that hangs open, mention it at your next checkup or sooner.
Mouth Breathing Solutions in Sicklerville, NJ
It may seem odd that breathing can affect your child’s oral health, but it can. The Center for Pediatric Dental Health is ready to help if you suspect your child’s mouth breathing is affecting their teeth or jaw development.
Schedule an appointment at our Sicklerville, NJ, Woolwich Township, NJ, or Mount Laurel, NJ office. We’ll help you figure out the next steps so your child’s mouth can develop as healthily as possible.
