Mouth breathing can have detrimental effects on facial development and health, particularly if it occurs frequently and for extended periods of time, especially during childhood when the bones and structures of the face are still developing. This can lead to overbites, facial asymmetry, and even TMJ pain.
There are some things parents and patients can consider to help stop this. Please see the email below from an inquiry to our office regarding a 4 year old:
Dear Dr. Konig,
Thank you for your reply.
He is mouth breathing at night and his mouth is open during the day. How do we fix that?
We took him to an ENT who said there is nothing he sees that is concerning but because he is congested (which he has been for years now) it’s not possible to tell if his adenoids are enlarged unless we get an x-ray. He also said he’d probably advise doing nothing even if the adenoids are enlarged because my son is still sleeping well at night.
He is not tongue tied according to the ENT and dentist.
Please can you advise me regarding the mouth breathing at night and the mouth open during the day.
Thank you,
Av
After speaking to the Mom, we suggested to get off all dairy for 2 weeks as dairy is one of the top allergens for kids. Less than 1 week later, here is the email from Mom:
Dr. Konig,
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I am so grateful for your advice. We took my son off dairy and in just one week his congestion cleared up after having been congested for years. He is breathing through his nose at night and often has his mouth closed during the day. His tongue is in him mouth now unless he is speaking (I suppose he is already accustomed to making sounds with his tongue out but hopefully a speech therapist can help us fix that). Do you think there may be “damage” from the past years and do you recommend a myomunchee? Would that perhaps help his speech? Or do you think we caught and fixed this early enough that the issues are resolved?
Thank you again. I am so excited about this.
Av
This simple change can prevent a lifetime of problems for this 4 year old. Mouth breathing is truly detrimental. If you have questions regarding Houston TMJ Treatment or Houston Myofunctional Therapy, please feel free to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF,
