Mouth Breathing/Oral Rest Posture

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What Is Mouth Breathing?

Mouths are designed for eating, chewing, ingestion, and communication whereas the nose is meant for breathing. When we can’t get enough air through the nose, the mouth begins to take over. This in turn forces us to breathe through the mouth out of necessity and, if not corrected, can be a lifelong habit that can cause health problems. Mouth breathing and having an open mouth are identified as basically the same thing and both equally detrimental to long-term health. 

This can be caused by an obstruction in the nasal passages. It can also be caused by an obstruction in the throat, such as enlarged tonsils, adenoids, tongue muscles

Specific causes of mouth breathing can include:

• Food sensitivities and allergies
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• Chronic nasal congestion
• Respiratory infection
• Asthma
• Deviated septum
• Nasal polyps

Each of these issues can make it difficult or impossible for a person to breathe through their nose, and when this happens, their only option is to breathe through their mouth. If this isn’t corrected, it can become a habit that’s set for life.

The body was designed for nasal breathing. It filters the air you breathe and causes the tongue to rest on the roof of the mouth. It also can help lower allergies and reduce the number of colds you get. Whereas when you breathe through your mouth, you over-breathe, which can throw off the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide needed for the body to function properly. This dysfunction caused by the imbalance is known as hyperventilation and it can cause all types of health problems in the body.

When the tongue is resting low and forward in the mouth and it is thrusting forward during swallowing, there are many symptoms that occur while eating. The tongue often comes forward to meet the utensil or cup when eating or drinking. The lips often squeeze together and the chin has a bunched appearance when swallowing. Eating and drinking may be messy or noisy. The patient often chews with lips open. Children may also be thought of by parents as “picky eaters” simply because they cannot manipulate certain textures of food as a result of their OMD. 

Mouth breathing can cause a range of symptoms that can affect all parts of our body from our teeth to our digestive system. Some of these symptoms include:

• Underdeveloped jaws
• Changes to facial appearance
• Bad breath
• Digestive issues (reflux, aerophagia)
• Problems with braces and dental treatment
• Speech/Articulation Issues
• ADD and ADHD-like symptoms in children

Adults may present with: 

• gulping sounds while swallowing
• dysfunctional swallow patterns
• dysfunctional eating/drinking skills (fast eating, insufficient chewing)
• aerophagia (excessive swallowing of air causing reflux, belching, gulping during swallow)
• oral sensory dysfunction (gagging, choking)
• oral preparatory dysfunction (disorganized bolus formation, multiple swallows needed to clear lingual residue). 

Chewing is the process that allows efficient enzyme breakdown. Proper chewing is a precursor to swallowing and is the first step of good digestion with the mixing of saliva with food and is indirectly involved in the control of salivary secretion and helps to maintain the health of the oral mucosa and the tooth supporting tissues. 

How can Myofunctional Therapy Help?

For someone who habitually breathes through their mouth, changing to nasal breathing isn’t that easy. The body no longer knows how to breathe normally, so the muscles surrounding the face and mouth have adapted and learned to work incorrectly. Working with a myofunctional therapist can help to correct those habits and train you to breathe through your nose. The changes to your health and quality of life can be astounding.

During therapy, a myofunctional therapist trains the lips and tongue to work in a correct swallowing pattern, using multiple exercises to re-learn how to correctly chew and swallow a variety of textures of food and drink.

My goal as a clinician is to not only correct Orofacial Muscle Dysfunctions, but to help our patients create new habits. Habituation is essential to a successful program! 

The treatment plans are customized for each patient, and can often be implemented without interruption to your dental or orthodontic treatment goals. 

Contact me for more info