Preventions for mouth breathing

[Ilovemysoil]

Hi

My 3yo daughter has mouth breathed since she was born. We took her to an Ears, Nose and Throat specialist who couldn't identify any obvious obstructions and advised to use saline spray and that she'd likely grow out of it. She also has a lip tie which we were advised to leave but I can see it is adding to her already gummy smile.

I am worried about her facial development. Sadly, I think I have passed on my genes to her. I suffered terribly with my teeth and jaws growing up resulting in surgery at 19yo - I had an overbite and a weak chin so had years of braces before the surgery.

I am terrified she is going to suffer the same way that I did, I was bullied horribly and it stays with me today - I feel helpless. My husband doesn't think there is an issue - but he didn't live through it like I did.

It would be great if any of you have had similar with your children and what you did to prevent the mouth breathing? Or whether you had a lip tie cut and whether it made a difference?

I can only answer for the mouthbreathing - you can’t prevent it. My dd does this, has done from being born, she’s now 24. She still mouth breathes. As a teen she was referred to ENT - they tried to say it was a habit 🙄, but actually, it’s because her nasal cavity narrows at the top and doesn’t let much air through, so she actually can’t breathe through her nose properly. She was offered surgery to reconstruct but she declined because at 15yo her lovely slim nose possibly being a tad wider and not looking like it used to was too much for her to deal with. She eats differently to the rest of our family, sometimes she opens her mouth while chewing as she can’t chew more than a few times with her mouth closed due to not being able to breathe at the same time through her nose.

You can buy stickers that go over your mouth. I don’t know if a young child could wear them. I’ve worn them as an adult. Have you considered your child seeing a chiropractor or osteopath? I took my child to a Mctimoney Chiropractor, which is a very gentle form, and she worked on her jaw. I used to have hay fever, and I think that the treatment from the chiropractor on my sinuses dealt with it - I stopped having hay fever after that.

Please do not put stickers over the child’s mouth! My daughter physically can’t breathe through her nose - she’d literally suffocate! 😡😖

Yes...there are ways. Encouraging to nose breath during the day as much as possible. If she can breath through nose then you can tape for ten mins during day so she can get used to the feeling. Also breathing exercises for nose, in through nose, out through nose hold nose and move head up and down with breath out for a wee bit then repeat. Very gently at first. You can use my tape which doesn't seal the mouth just encourages nose breathing. Never use full tape on a child. You can try some yourself...Google Patrick mceowan kids breathing x

The stickers don’t seal the mouth, they are in a cross shape, and you can still breathe through them, but I think they encourage nose breathing.

My post meant to say myotape....

Wrt to braces, so many kids have them these days it doesn't seem to be a thing like it used to be, Ds was delighted to get them so he could be like his mates. Same as glasses, they've all got them now.

I have to concentrate hard not to breathe through my mouth, I'm 50+ now so doubt it'll change.

Hi I just went to a nueromuscular dentist today in Dubai with my 4 year old as he has some jaw issues and she said he’s a mouth breather ..she showed me a YouTube video which is very interesting and told me to remove any carpet from my sons room or else vacuum every day she also asked I put saline in his nose every night and suggested he use the breathe easy pacifier at night (he has never taken one before ) which can help correct the mouth breathing… pm me if you want the links to the products she recommended.