Does your child breathe through his or her mouth? This isn’t terribly unusual. Nearly half of all children under the age of eight do some mouth-breathing from time to time. If the habit doesn’t disappear by his or her eighth year, however, it might be a job for our Bellevue dentist.
One of the problems with chronic mouth-breathing is that it dries out your oral cavity. Your mouth needs saliva to help it battle against bacteria and fungal infections, so extended periods of dryness can lead to dental problems. People with dry mouths are more prone to tooth decay, gingivitis, and other diseases.
Chronic mouth-breathing often comes with malocclusion, or an improper alignment of the teeth. Many mouth-breathing children can therefore benefit from orthodontic work. If you think this might be your child’s problem, don’t wait; Overlake Family Dental can help!
