If your child breathes through their mouth even when they are not sick, you’re not alone. I used to assume this was just part of childhood, something they would grow out of. But gradually, I began noticing other issues. My son snored during infancy, woke up irritable, and never seemed rested. I raised concerns during appointments, but the answer was always the same: “He’ll outgrow it.”
I eventually decided to research the issue myself. What I discovered changed how I saw his sleep, health, and development. Mouth breathing in children is not just a habit. It often indicates a deeper problem that deserves attention.
Mouth Breathing in Children
Mouth breathing is often a response to nasal obstruction. The body finds an alternate route for air when the nasal passages are blocked. Over time, this can become the default method of breathing, even when the original cause has resolved. Persistent mouth breathing can affect sleep, development, behavior, and overall quality of life.
What Causes Mouth Breathing in Children
Chronic Nasal Congestion and Allergies
If your child often has a blocked nose, they are likely to start breathing through their mouth to get enough air. This congestion can result from:
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Seasonal or environmental allergies
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Food sensitivities, especially to dairy or gluten
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Ongoing exposure to dust, mold, or pet dander
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Chronic sinus inflammation
Nasal congestion can limit oxygen intake, especially during sleep. Many children with chronic congestion experience daytime fatigue, behavioral challenges, and difficulty focusing. If the congestion continues, it may also affect the development of the upper jaw and airway.
Enlarged Tonsils or Adenoids
Tonsils and adenoids are lymphatic tissues that help fight infections. In some children, they become enlarged and block the airway, especially during sleep. This is often overlooked unless symptoms become severe.
Mouth breathing, in turn, allows unfiltered air to pass directly into the throat, which can irritate and inflame these tissues even more. The result is a cycle of inflammation and obstruction. Children in this situation may show signs such as:
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Loud snoring or gasping while sleeping
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Recurrent ear infections
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Chronic congestion
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Difficulty swallowing
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Sleep apnea
If these tissues remain enlarged for a prolonged period, the airway continues to narrow. This affects not only sleep but also facial development, speech, and even posture.
Underdeveloped Jaw and Narrow Palate
The structure of the jaw and palate plays a significant role in how a child breathes. Proper development depends on the tongue resting against the roof of the mouth, which encourages lateral growth of the upper jaw. However, when a child breathes through the mouth, the tongue sits low. As a result, the palate becomes high and narrow, reducing space for both the tongue and airflow.
This can lead to:
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Crowded teeth
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Misalignment requiring orthodontic intervention
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Reduced airway volume
Over time, these structural issues can contribute to breathing difficulties that extend into adolescence and adulthood.
Low Tongue Posture
At rest, the tongue should remain on the roof of the mouth. This position supports proper development of the palate, jaw, and airway. Children who breathe through the mouth often have a low tongue posture. The consequences include:
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Dental crowding
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Narrow palate
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Impaired speech articulation
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Swallowing difficulties
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Disrupted sleep
Low tongue posture can also lead to changes in muscle tone throughout the face and neck. This may result in forward head posture or tension in the shoulders and jaw. Over time, these muscular compensations can contribute to further airway restrictions and sleep issues.
Signs That Mouth Breathing Is Affecting Your Child
Here are common indicators that mouth breathing may be interfering with your child’s health:
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Constant open-mouth breathing, even while awake
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Snoring or noisy breathing during sleep
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Restless sleep or frequent waking
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Dry mouth or bad breath in the morning
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Persistent congestion with no clear cause
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Difficulty concentrating, inattentiveness
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Misaligned or crowded teeth
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Delayed speech or unclear articulation
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Facial tension or frequent headaches
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Slouched posture or head tilted forward
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Ongoing bedwetting beyond the expected age
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Frequent throat clearing or hoarseness
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Chronic fatigue despite sleeping through the night
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High, narrow palate or recessed jaw
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Trouble chewing or swallowing solid foods
Long-Term Effects of Mouth Breathing in Children
Facial Growth and Jaw Development
Mouth breathing influences how a child’s face grows. The lack of nasal airflow and proper tongue posture affects the shape of the face and jaw. Common patterns include:
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Narrow, elongated face
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Weak jawline or recessed chin
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High palate with reduced space for teeth
These features are not only cosmetic. The altered growth pattern can lead to airway restriction, impaired breathing during sleep, and speech difficulties. Orthodontic treatment may help align the teeth, but if the breathing pattern remains unchanged, the underlying issue persists.
Risk of Sleep-Disordered Breathing
Children who mouth breathe are more likely to experience fragmented sleep. This may result in:
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Interrupted oxygen flow
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Shallow breathing or pauses during sleep
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Reduced REM sleep
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Behavioral changes
In some children, these symptoms resemble those seen in attention-related disorders. Research has shown that disrupted sleep from airway restriction can contribute to poor focus, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation.
Untreated sleep-disordered breathing can also influence metabolism, immunity, and cardiovascular health over time.
What You Can Do About Mouth Breathing
Support Nasal Breathing
Begin by improving your child’s nasal airflow. Consider the following:
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Saline nasal sprays or rinses to clear mucus
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Using a humidifier in dry environments
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Identifying and removing environmental allergens
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Investigating possible food sensitivities
Encourage your child to keep their lips closed when resting. Breathing retraining exercises can help build awareness and muscle strength for nasal breathing.
Explore Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy is a set of exercises designed to improve the strength and coordination of the facial muscles and tongue. It focuses on:
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Promoting proper tongue posture
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Improving lip seal
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Correcting swallowing mechanics
This therapy can be helpful for children with persistent mouth breathing, speech concerns, or orthodontic needs. When introduced early, it supports better oral habits and jaw development.
Seek an Airway-Focused Dental Evaluation
After years of searching for answers, we consulted an airway-focused dentist. This approach shifted everything. Unlike traditional dentistry, airway-centered care evaluates how the jaws, tongue, and airway interact.
In our case, we were introduced to the Toothpillow Program, a tool designed to:
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Guide jaw growth forward
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Expand the upper palate
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Improve airway size and function
Unlike conventional braces, which often focus only on alignment, this system works with growth patterns to create space for better breathing. Once we began using it, we saw noticeable improvements in sleep, energy, and attention. You can read more about our story here.
Why Early Intervention Is Important
The earlier the issue is identified, the more effective the intervention. Addressing mouth breathing during childhood can:
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Improve sleep quality
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Reduce behavioral symptoms
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Support better immune function
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Prevent extensive dental procedures later
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Promote healthier facial development
Without proper treatment, these concerns often extend into adolescence and adulthood, leading to more complex health challenges.
FAQs: Mouth Breathing in Children
Is mouth breathing normal during sleep?
Occasional mouth breathing due to illness is common, but consistent mouth breathing during sleep is a concern and should be evaluated.
Can this cause permanent changes in the face?
Yes. Long-term mouth breathing can influence how the face and jaw develop, often leading to structural changes that impact breathing and appearance.
Are tonsils and adenoids always the cause?
They are a common cause, but not the only one. Nasal obstruction, jaw structure, tongue posture, and muscle tone also play important roles.
Can a child outgrow mouth breathing?
Some children improve as they grow, but many continue the pattern unless it is addressed directly. Early intervention is usually more effective.
Will orthodontics alone fix the issue?
Braces may straighten teeth but often do not correct the underlying causes of mouth breathing. A comprehensive approach is usually needed.
What professional should I see?
An airway-focused dentist or myofunctional therapist can provide evaluations and guidance tailored to your child’s needs.
Mouth breathing in children is a significant issue that can affect many aspects of health and development. While it may start as a response to congestion, it often becomes a long-term pattern that alters sleep, behavior, and facial growth. Recognizing the signs early and seeking appropriate care can lead to meaningful changes in your child’s quality of life.
If You Think Your Child Has Airway Issues, Here’s What You Can Do
Recognizing that something is off with your child’s breathing or sleep can be difficult, especially when the signs are subtle or dismissed as normal. I’ve experienced that uncertainty myself. But hoping a child will outgrow airway problems often leads to delays that make treatment more complex later on.
Addressing the problem early is important. One of the most helpful tools we found was the Toothpillow Program. It supports proper tongue posture, encourages healthy jaw growth, and creates more space in the airway. It’s designed for home use and is different from traditional orthodontics, which usually focus on tooth alignment rather than breathing and development. The goal here is not just straighter teeth, but a better-functioning airway and improved sleep.
If you’re unsure about what’s going on, you can request a free virtual assessment with a Toothpillow-trained airway dentist. This evaluation looks at how your child breathes, how their face and jaw are developing, and whether early intervention might help. It’s a simple step that can provide clarity and help you decide what to do next to support your child’s long-term health.
When you visit www.toothpillow.com you will see a button to see if your child is a candidate for the toothpillow. If you’d like to go diretly to the form, please visit here:
Click Take the Assessment. When you get to the section that says “Who’s the person we can thank for referring you?” — make sure to enter Toothpillow coupon code SOSH to ensure you get a FREE consultation as well as $200 OFF of treatment if you’re approved and decide to move forward.
At this point, you’ll just need to take a few photos of your child and submit them for the FREE consultation. It’s simple: six quick photos and a few basic details, and you’re done! Then, you just wait. Depending on your location, it might take a few weeks to get a response, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Once reviewed, you’ll find out if your child is approved. From there, it’s up to you if you want to move forward. Using my Toothpillow coupon code SOSH makes this initial step completely FREE, giving you a chance to get answers and see what’s possible for your child.