Pediatric mouth breathing and malocclusion

Mouth breathing is one of the most common clinical symptoms of pediatric sleep-related disorder breathing (SDB). Pediatric SDB is mostly caused by adenoid hypertrophy, tonsil hypertrophy and/or nasal diseases. Children whose mouth breathing is untreated may develop long narrow faces, narrow dental arches, high palatal vaults, gummy smiles, and lip incompetency due to imbalance of the orofacial muscles. Orthodontic treatment has enormous capacity to influence the growth and development of the nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and dentofacial complex. Orthodontists play an important role in the early prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mouth breathing. This review article focuses on the causes, examination and diagnosis of mouth breathing, the relationship between mouth breathing and dentofacial development, as well as relevant treatment options. Key words: Mouth Breathing; Upper Airway Obstruction; Malocclusion