Mouth breathing may cause bad breath, misaligned teeth and dry mouth – it may also change the entire shape of your face.
Perhaps one of the least well known symptoms of mouth breathing – but the one with the biggest implications – is that a consistent mouth breather, particularly a child, may find that breathing through their mouth changes the shape of their face.
There are many reasons that people breathe through their mouths – some temporary, like a blocked nose and some more permanent, like a deviated septum. If nasal breathing is safe it is important to encourage your child to break their mouth breathing habit and breathe through their nose before mouth breathing changes their face.
One of the easiest ways to encourage nasal breathing is through training the tongue – Myospots are an easy way to help your family breathe better and avoid mouth breathing face; more on that below.
Can mouth breathing be corrected?
Before we answer the question, let’s take a look at some of the causes of mouth breathing. Commonly mouth breathing is a result of:- A blocked nose
- A deviated septum
- Enlarged tonsils
- A small nose
- The size and shape of the jaw
- crooked teeth
- problems sleeping
- slow or reduced growth
- a lack of energy
Can mouth breathing change your face?
Mouth breathing may affect a child’s facial development; when a child constantly breathes through their mouth they develop what is often called, “mouth breathing face”.
Nose breathing allows our faces to develop normally – and there’s research to support this. Breathing through your mouth may change your face shape as the jaw is constantly open, rather than closed as it naturally should be. Specifically, that mouth breathing may cause underdevelopment of the jaw in children who are consistent mouth breathers.
Physical effects of “mouth breather face” for both adults and children, include:
- an elongated face
- a receding chin
- a gummy smile
- a narrow mouth
- crooked, crowded teeth
- a flatter nose
- an overbite
- poor posture
So to the question of does breathing through your mouth change your face shape - Mouth breathing may change the shape of your face and may lead to ongoing dental issues and a lack of confidence in children who exhibit symptoms of mouth breather.
Can mouth breathing face be reversed?
As always, prevention is better than cure – so, can you fix your mouth breathing face?
If you notice that your child is breathing through their mouth constantly, it’s essential you get to the root of the problem early. Once you’ve identified that there’s not a physical issue – for example a deviated spectrum – one of the best ways to break the mouth breathing habit is tongue exercises.
Studies have demonstrated that addressing mouth breathing earlier rather than later in children is better for both their physical and mental health. Mouth breathing is often a result of poor tongue posture. In an ideal world, your child’s tongue rests on the roof of their mouth, along the back of their top row of teeth. When their tongue is in this position their mouth naturally closes, and they are gently forced to breathe through their nose.
Just like other muscles in our bodies, our tongue needs exercise to function efficiently. Here’s where Myospots can help. Myospots are small, flavoured pads that adhere to the roof of your mouth. Your tongue notices the foreign object in your mouth and naturally goes to touch it – with this simple exercise, your tongue learns to remain elevated, and you breathe through your nose.
For children, this is the perfect, hassle free way to train their tongue and encourage them to breathe through their nose, with very little effort from them or from you. If you’re also wondering how to fix mouth breathing face in adults – it’s never too late to start training your tongue.
Myospots works for the whole family. So while we’ve confirmed that breathing through your mouth may change your face shape, we’ve also provided a simple solution to help you and your family avoid the physical implications of mouth breathing. Try Myospots today!
*All information is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Your healthcare provider can consult with you to confirm if this advice is right for you.
