Yes, chronic mouth breathing is a significant concern because it bypasses the nose's natural filtering, warming, and humidifying of air, leading to potential issues like dry mouth, increased infections, poor sleep, bad breath, and even affecting facial development in children. While occasional mouth breathing (like when sick) is normal, persistent daytime or nighttime mouth breathing can impact overall health, and it's important to see a doctor or dentist to find and treat the underlying cause, such as nasal congestion or sleep apnea, say experts from Mayo Clinic, Sleep Foundation, and Cleveland Clinic.
Talk to a healthcare provider if you notice you're breathing through your mouth more than your nose or think you're mouth breathing while you sleep. (Your first clue may be the icky combination of a dry mouth, bad breath and drool on your pillow.) They'll find out why you can't get air in through your nose.
Causes of mouth breathing
Nasal blockages causes by cold, flu or allergies. Deviated septum or the cartilage divider between the nostrils is abnormal making it difficult to breath through the nose. Sleep apnea caused by enlarged adenoids or tonsils that indicate the collapse of soft tissue in the throat.
Treatments to Stop Mouth Breathing
Mouth Breathing vs Nose Breathing
Mouth breathing is a common condition that can have serious health consequences. Although mouth breathing is often considered normal, it can shorten your life by a decade or more. Mouth breathing occurs when the nose cannot adequately filter and humidify the air.
Early treatments, even from the age of three, can prevent many future issues. But if you discover this later in life, you can still improve your health. Think of it like exercise: it's never too late to start moving and see positive changes. The same goes for your jaw development and breathing.
1. VO2 Max: Your Cardiovascular Fitness Level. VO2 max measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise and is one of the strongest indicators of longevity. A higher VO2 max is associated with better heart health, improved endurance, and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
While nasal breathing is the preferred physiological method of respiration, mouth breathing is usually a compensatory response to an underlying nasal problem. In many cases, nasal surgery can help correct this issue—especially if it's caused by structural obstructions like a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates.
While completely reversing the effects of a mouth breathing face in adults may not be possible, significant improvements can be achieved through personalized treatments and interventions.
You can train yourself to breathe through your nose by placing reminders in your home, using breathing exercises, and checking your posture. Identifying and treating the cause of mouth breathing, such as allergies or a deviated nasal septum, is important in stopping the habit.
The relationship is both direct and indirect: Direct Effects: Poor sleep quality from mouth breathing leads to symptoms that mirror ADHD, including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Children who don't get quality sleep struggle with executive function—the brain's ability to plan, focus, and control behavior.
According to James Nestor, 25-50% of the population habitually breathe through their mouth. Many people don't realize they're mouth breathers until symptoms start to show. Here are a few red flags to watch for: Chronic bad breath or dry mouth.
Short-term effects of mouth breathing include dry mouth, bad breath, hoarseness, and feeling tired when you wake up. This is likely caused by a lack of restful sleep. Long-term effects of mouth breathing can include constant colds and tooth decay.
The main cause of halitosis is poor oral hygiene. Without proper oral hygiene — like brushing, flossing and routine dental cleanings — harmful bacteria invade your mouth and cause bad smells.
Common causes include nasal congestion, allergies, deviated septum, or sleep apnea. Chronic mouth breathing can increase the risk of tooth decay, gum irritation, and dehydration, and may worsen snoring or sleep apnea symptoms.
Some people breathe through their mouths only when they are asleep or have nasal congestion. However, some people are mouth breathers on a day-to-day basis. Allergies often give way to mouth breathing, as well as issues such as chronic nasal obstruction and even stress and anxiety.
Dentists can identify issues like sleep apnea, airway obstruction, or mouth breathing habits during regular checkups. They can offer solutions like oral appliances for sleep apnea, therapies to improve nasal breathing, or orthodontic treatments to correct jaw alignment.
It's Never Too Late To Do Myofunctional Therapy
However, that change can be good for you, or it can be bad for you. Your craniofacial structure is going to be changing for the better if you're breathing through your nose, your tongue is on the roof of your mouth, and your lips are together during the day and night.
Here are some signs that might indicate chronic mouth breathing:
Surgical Interventions for Structural Issues
It is an office procedure, performed under local anesthesia, and it takes about 10 minutes. Usually there's no pain on the recovery process, no change on the physical aspect and no long-term side effects, such as loss on olfactory perception.
You bet—your body can learn. Start small: focus on breathing through the nose during quiet moments, then build up. Exercises like taping your mouth at night (safely, with guidance) retrain your breathing pattern.
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich (PB&J) adds about 33 minutes to your healthy lifespan per serving, according to a University of Michigan study that measured life expectancy impacts of over 5,850 foods using the Health Nutritional Index (HNI). This sandwich tops the list for adding time, with nuts and seeds also being highly beneficial (around 25 mins) and processed items like hot dogs subtracting time.
Differences in Adult Lifespan by Month of Birth. We find a similar relationship between month of birth and lifespan in both of our Northern Hemisphere countries. Adults born in autumn (October–December) live longer than those born in spring (April–June).
Italy's youth are facing obesity because of what Longo calls the “poisonous five P's—pizza, pasta, protein, potatoes, and pane (or bread),” Jason Horowitz writes in the NYT. Longo fears Italians will live long but not healthfully if this pattern continues to dominate the culture.