Mouth breathing is breathing through the mouth. It often is caused by an obstruction to breathing through the nose, the innate breathing organ in the human body. Chronic mouth breathing may be associated with illness. It is classified into three types: obstructive, habitual, and anatomic. There’s no single test for mouth breathing. A doctor might diagnose mouth breathing during a physical examination when looking at the nostrils or during a visit to find out what’s causing persistent nasal congestion. They may ask questions about sleep, snoring, sinus problems, and difficulty breathing. A dentist may diagnose mouth breathing during a routine dental examination if you have bad breath, frequent cavities, or gum disease. If a dentist or doctor notices swollen tonsils, nasal polyps, and other conditions, they may refer you to a specialist, like an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor for further evaluation.

Nasal breathing produces nitric oxide within the body, while mouth breathing does not. In addition, the Boston Medical Centre notes that the nose filters out particles that enter the body, humidifies the air we breathe and warms it to body temperature. In contrast, however, mouth breathing "pulls all pollution and germs directly into the lungs; dry cold air in the lungs makes the secretions thick, slows the cleaning cilia, and slows down the passage of oxygen into the bloodstream. “As a result, chronic mouth breathing may lead to illness. In about 85% of cases, it is an adaptation to nasal congestion, and frequently occurs during sleep. More specialized causes include: antrochoanal polyps: a short upper lip which prevents the lips from meeting at rest (lip incompetence); and pregnancy rhinitis which tends to occur in the third trimester of pregnancy Conditions associated with mouth breathing include cheilitis glandular is, Down syndrome, anterior open bite, tongue thrusting habit, cerebral palsy, ADHD, sleep apnea,and snoring. In addition, gingivitis gingival enlargement and increased levels of dental plaque are common in persons who chronically breathe through their mouths. The usual effect on the gums is sharply confined to the anterior maxillary region, especially the incisors (the upper teeth at the front). The appearance is erythematous (red), edematous (swollen) and shiny. This region receives the greatest exposure to airflow during mouth breathing, and it is thought that the inflammation and irritation is related to surface dehydration, but in animal experimentation, repeated air drying of the gums did not create such an appearance.

Chronic mouth breathing in children may affect dental and facial growth.[16] It may also lead to the development of a long, narrow face, sometimes termed long face syndrome. Conversely, it has been suggested that a long thin face type, with corresponding thin nasopharyngeal airway, predisposes to nasal obstruction and mouth breathing

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Journal of Oral Hygiene and Health