Facial Aesthetics change over time with mouth breathing

Mouth breathing is slowly becoming known to be a health epidemic. The list of negative side effects and increase risk for disease continues to grow all from breathing from your mouth. This can generally begin in childhood from something as simple as an allergy issue with a stuffy nose, enlarged tonsils, or through poor oral habits such as prolong bottle use and thumb sucking. Proper facial growth is dependent on tongue position, nasal breathing, good eating and oral habits, and the minimization of parafunction activities (teeth grinding, nail biting, inappropriate sucking).

What sort of facial profile are we seeing in those who have poor development in their maxilla and mandible?

We tend to see…

• A more elongated facial structure.

• A retruded/recessed chin

• A crooked nose

• Tired eyes/dark circles under eyes (otherwise known as allergic shiners)

• Open mouth posture/or lips resting open.

• Forward head posture

• Less prominent jaw line

• Increased shifting of teeth/crooked teeth over time

While children can experience the detriment of jaw pain (TMD) issues from these facial changes and habits, we generally see adults going through TMD issues who present with many of these facial aesthetics. Mouth breathing puts the condyle of the temporomandibular joint in a poor position to function through daily habits such as chewing, swallowing, and speaking. This can result in pain, muscle tightness and dysfunction, and popping and clicking issues.

These changes are more easily reversible while children are still young. But what about adults? By this time, your palatal suture is fused and may require more complex intervention. However, there are things that can be done NOW to stop the regression and improve our orofacial health moving forward.

• Practice correct oral rest posture (lips closed, teeth apart, nasal breathing) all day.

• Practice good nasal hygiene to help minimize night time mouth breathing (nasal rinse, nasal strips, nasal spray)

• Eliminate bad oral habits such as nail biting, thumb sucking, cheek biting, smoking, daytime clenching…etc.

• Seek out the help of a myofunctional therapist.

• Have an airway assessment by an airway centric ENT, dentist, or TMJ specialist.

It isn’t too late to start addressing mouth breathing and the symptoms that come alongside it.