Most parents don't even realize their children are mouth breathing. When I ask parents if their child breathes through their nose or mouth they usually say nose. Until I point out they have their lips apart when they are playing with toys across the room. Parents are unaware if their child's lips are closed or open. I didn't realize my son looked like this picture, but now looking back this was how he looked in many photos. No wonder he was snoring at night and had sleep disorder breathing. Every person has a different situation that will drop the tongue low in the mouth. Actually lets back up. Where is your tongue now? Look at your child, do they look this picture or are their lips closed? Where the tongue is positioned at rest is key to their cranial development and growth. The tongue needs to be resting at the top of the mouth, high in the palate. This will guide growth and development of the jawline to be broad instead of narrow with crowded teeth. If the the tongue is low at the bottom of the mouth or resting between their teeth, the lips will be apart. Not only is mouth breathing unhealthy it affects your whole body. Mouth breathing decreases the carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange, not as much is coming through the mouth as it would be through the nasal passage. The oxygen is not warmed or filter either. The biggest loss to our body by mouth breathing is our body makes nitric oxide in the nasal passage. This is a huge benefit our body naturally produces! Google it and find all the natural benefits!!
What other signs may there be when mouth breathing is occurring:
---Bed Wetting until older
---Food Avoidance
---Food falling out of mouth when chewing, chew mouth open, food pocket in cheeks
---Congestion
---Snoring
---Hard time sleeping or going to bed
---Pooling/drooling saliva
---Digestive issues
---Enlarged tonsils
---Behavior ADD/ADHD
---High palate
---Crooked teeth
---Daytime fatigue
*---Also babies that are breastfeeding the Procheilon (center of top lip) will be blistered from the sucking being compromised.
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