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Over the years you might have heard the insult “He’s a real mouth-breather” thrown about, which serves to infer someone’s low intelligence i.e. they don't have the smarts to have worked out / or manage to breathe through their nose. In this article, Dentists port Macquarie discuss the seriousness of literal mouth breathing and emphasise that it’s actually no laughing matter…
Mouth breathing is when someone breathes entirely through their mouth - both inhaling and exhaling throughout the day, and most concerningly - as they sleep.
People will often do this due to:
Mouth breathing in children is also relatively common, and most times something they grow out of, which we’ve written about in our article on mouth breathing in babies piece.
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Yes.
As dentists in Port Macquarie we may suspect you’re breathing through your mouth at night (or any time) due to the following symptoms (i.e. consequences), typically observed during patient check-ups:
The majority of these dental conditions are caused by lack of saliva production, due to the mouth not being closed for a long period of time (i.e. sleeping). Saliva production helps keep bacteria at bay by neutralising it, and effectively ‘washing away’ the germs. Without saliva, tooth cavities and gum disease (gingivitis) can form, and your tooth enamel can be eaten/eroded by the bacteria.
The effects of mouth breathing can also extend beyond your oral health - mouth breathing can lead to poor sleep outcomes - i.e never feeling fully rested, a higher likelihood of snoring, and a higher likelihood of sleep apnea. The former can result in energy and mood depletion and disturbances, and the latter two outcomes will see you with an unhappy bed buddy (thanks to your snoring), and you with sleep apnea - oxygen deprived. None of these are good things!
Further, when you breathe through your nose, you filter out dust, bugs (ick) and pollen (thank you nasal hairs!), and you also produce nitrous oxide, which allows your lungs to take in and distribute oxygen more effectively.
If you feel you might be mouth breathing, or your dentist suggests that you are – please speak to your GP, who will listen to your concerns, and will likely run tests to properly diagnose mouth breathing. They may then refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, who will assess if there is a medical reason at play, and then provide a diagnosis and a treatment plan.
A word of caution: you might have seen various media outlets / or certain ‘influencers’ promoting or pushing ‘mouth breathing tape’, ‘nasal strips’ and ‘medical tape for mouth breathing’ as the “next big thing in self-care”. Before you engage in any non-prescribed practices, please always speak with your trusted health professional, first.
To end, if your dentist identifies what they feel are mouth breathing symptoms, or similarly, suggests you speak to your GP about how to stop mouth breathing at night - please do. Follow their advice.
Your teeth, and your overall health, depend on it.