BREATHING

Our breathing technique affects our dental health and overall health. Correct breathing is nasal (nose) breathing. The function of the nose is to warm, filter and humidify air and so there are obvious physiological advantages to adapting a mouth closed posture at rest. Long standing nasal obstruction of any cause leads to altered craniofacial growth in children often leading to a narrow high arched palate (roof of mouth). Chronic resistance to nasal breathing forces children to adopt a chronic mouth open posture at rest. The altered position of the tongue and lips causes the mandible (lower jaw) to rotate downwards, which may cause lack of forward growth of the mandible. A lower tongue also leads to altered tone in the buccinators (cheek) muscle which leads to a constricted maxilla (upper jaw) ie: narrow high arched palate. Longstanding nasal obstruction leads to altered patterns of facial growth and dentofacial deformity.

Nasal obstruction causes the child to chronically breathe through the mouth. Chronic mouth breathing may contribute to the following problems;

• Forward head posture with associated neck, shoulder and back pain.
• Headaches often associated with altered posture.
• Malocclusion.
• Anterior open bite of the teeth.
• Temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
• V-shaped upper jaw and high palatal vault.
• Gummy smile.
• Increased risk of periodontal (gum) disease.
• Dry mouth increasing risk of dental decay.
• Increased allergen/airborne infection entry to lungs.
• Chronic tonsil and adenoid swelling.
• Bad breath.
• Excessive snoring.
• Sleep apnoea.
• Allergic shiners – dark circles under eyes.
• Hypocapnia (low levels of carbon dioxide in the lungs and blood) which may disturb immune function and metabolism.
• Chronic tiredness.
• Bed wetting.

THE MAJOR CAUSES OF NASAL OBSTRUCTION ARE:

1. Allergic Rhinitis
   Allergies cause hypertrophy (enlargement) of the nasal tissues. This swelling blocks the passage of air through the nose.
   
   
2. Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids
   Creates blockage at the back of the nose forcing the patient to adopt an open mouth posture at rest.
   
   
3. Nasal Septum Deviation
   A common cause of unilateral (one sided) nasal obstruction in children. Can be cartilaginous or bony or mixed.
   
   
4. Inflammation and Swelling of the Turbinates
   This decreases the passage of air through the nose.
   
   
5. Narrow Highly Arched Palate
   Decreases the vertical height of the nose.

The correction of abnormal breathing  and its associated problems is an important component of total health treatment at Align Dental where we work in conjunction with medical specialists (particularly ear, nose and throat specialists) to improve our patients quality of life and wellbeing.