Is your child a mouth breather?

Breathing through the mouth instead of the nose may lead to trouble for our youngsters, according to a study published in the January/February 2010 issue of the journal General Dentistry.

Kids who typically breathe through their mouth - most often children who suffer from allergies - experience problems getting enough oxygen into their blood, a condition that affects their weight, size and sleep, which often affects their performance in classroom and daily life.

The author of the study, Dr. Yosh Jefferson, also notes that if left untreated, mouth breathing can cause dental and facial abnormalities. Did you know that mouth breathing is a treatable condition? Doing so, though, requires early diagnosis and treatment. Since Drs. Ryan and Keel see our patients every six months, they may be in a position to identify the symptoms of mouth breathing.

If you suspect your child is a chronic mouth breather, please give our team at Grin a call.

For more on mouth breathing, we encourage you to read the rest of the Dr. Jefferson's article. For more on children's dental health, go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.