Mouth breathing in children is common—but it is not normal. Persistent mouth breathing is a sign of airway dysfunction and can impact facial development, dental alignment, sleep quality, attention, behavior, and long-term health. Early identification and intervention can prevent structural changes to the jaws, palate, and airway that become much harder to correct later in life.
Below is a clear guide for parents, pediatricians, orthodontists, and caregivers on the red flags of mouth breathing, why it matters, at-home steps to take, and when to seek professional help—including pediatric myofunctional therapy and airway-focused speech-language pathology.
Red Flags of Mouth Breathing in Children
Parents often notice signs long before they realize they are clinically meaningful. Red flags include:
1. Visible Mouth-Breathing Patterns
- Sleeping with the mouth open
- Snoring or noisy breathing
- Chapped lips, open-lip rest posture
- Drooling during sleep
2. Facial and Postural Clues
- Long-face growth pattern
- Narrow palate
- Forward head posture
- Dark circles under the eyes (“allergic shiners”)
These indicate low tongue posture and altered facial growth.
3. Behavioral Indicators
- Irritability
- Hyperactivity
- Symptoms resembling ADHD
- Difficulty sustaining attention
- Daytime fatigue or mood fluctuations
Poor sleep from airway resistance is a major driver of attention concerns.
4. Feeding and Swallowing Patterns
- Slow eating
- Mouth-open chewing
- Tongue thrust
- Picky eating due to airway discomfort
These patterns commonly co-occur with oral dysphagia or early orofacial myofunctional dysfunction.
5. Sleep Issues
- Night wakings
- Restless sleep
- Snoring
- Teeth grinding
- Morning headaches
These can indicate early upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) or pediatric sleep-disordered breathing.
Why Mouth Breathing Matters
Chronic mouth breathing affects the structure, function, and health of the airway.
1. Facial and Jaw Development
The tongue shapes the palate.
When it rests low in the mouth instead of on the palate:
- The palate narrows
- The airway becomes smaller
- Teeth crowd
- Orthodontic problems increase
- Facial height increases
This is why early correction is essential.
2. Dental Consequences
- Malocclusion
- Open bite
- Crossbite
- Overjet
- Relapse after orthodontics
Braces cannot overcome a dysfunctional airway or low tongue posture.
3. Sleep Quality
Mouth breathing increases:
- Snoring
- Flow limitation
- UARS
- Nighttime arousals
- Fatigue
- Behavioral challenges
Poor sleep directly impacts learning, emotional regulation, and neurological development.
4. Inflammation + Allergies
Mouth breathing bypasses the nose’s filtering system, contributing to:
- Dry airway
- Irritation
- Chronic congestion
- Increased illness
- More allergy symptoms
Nasal breathing is essential for healthy immune and airway function.
5. Long-Term Airway Health
If not corrected early, mouth breathing increases lifelong risk for:
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- TMJ dysfunction
- Bruxism
- Breathing problems
- Chronic nasal congestion
- Swallowing dysfunction
Home Steps and When to Seek Referrals
Step 1: Check Nasal Patency
Ask: Can my child breathe comfortably through their nose for 3 minutes without opening their mouth?
If not, something deeper is happening.
Step 2: Address Environmental Triggers
- Bedtime humidifier
- Daily saline mist
- HEPA filtration
- Allergy management (if recommended by provider)
Step 3: Monitor Day + Night Patterns
If the mouth is open during the day, it will almost always be open during sleep.
Step 4: Seek Professional Evaluation When:
- Snoring is present
- Mouth stays open during sleep
- Teeth are shifting
- Speech sounds are distorted
- Tongue posture seems low
- Attention or behavior is affected
Children benefit most from a team approach, which may include:
- Pediatrician
- ENT
- Orthodontist
- Speech-language pathologist specializing in airway
- Myofunctional therapist
- Allergy specialist
For airway-focused pediatric therapy:
/services/pediatric-therapy
To find a BreatheWorks location:
/locations
Myofunctional Therapy for Kids
Pediatric myofunctional therapy is one of the most effective long-term solutions for mouth breathing because it targets the root cause:
Myofunctional therapy trains:
- Tongue posture
- Lip seal
- Habitual nasal breathing
- Correct swallowing patterns
- Better oral rest posture
- Airway muscle tone
- Facial growth harmony
Myofunctional therapy helps children with:
- Snoring
- Daytime mouth breathing
- Tongue thrust
- Speech distortions
- Dysphagia
- TMJ tension
- Upper airway resistance
- Allergic mouth breathing habits
Because children’s faces and airways are still growing, early intervention leads to dramatic improvements in structure and lifelong outcomes.
Learn more here:
/services/myofunctional-therapy
FAQ
Will they grow out of it?
No. Children rarely “grow out of” mouth breathing.
In most cases, the underlying problem—nasal obstruction, low tongue posture, airway resistance, or habit—grows with them and continues into adulthood unless corrected.
Do braces fix it?
Braces can improve alignment, but they do not correct:
- Tongue posture
- Nasal obstruction
- Airway resistance
- Mouth breathing habits
Without treating the airway and myofunctional patterns, teeth often relapse.
Are allergies causal?
Often, yes. Allergies increase nasal inflammation and force mouth breathing.
But allergies are only one possible cause—many children continue mouth breathing even after allergy symptoms improve because the habit becomes ingrained.
