Mouth breathing, as the name suggests, is breathing through the mouth rather than the nose. In majority of the cases, mouth breathing represents an involuntary adaptation to an obstructed nasal airway, and mouth breathing is a requirement simply in order to get enough air. This can be due to an obstruction in the nose or even adenoids. Chronic mouth breathing in children may result in damaging effects to dental and facial growth. It may cause gingivitis of the front teeth, bad breath and even movement of the front teeth. Treatment generally involves removal of the obstruction or a habit breaking appliance fabricated by the dentist.
