Mouth Breathing
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Mouth Breathing
Hey everyone. I'm in need of a little advice. Well, I have breathed through my mouth basically since i was born, and this has led to some skeletal issues. Im headed off to Upenn this fall, and am thinking about putting braces on and consulting with an oral surgeon there. You think I will get the best possible treatment there (both surgically and orthodontically)? Also, are any of you familiar with the skeletal disharmonies that mouth breathing causes, and how they are best treated? I know that my lower jaw is recessed, and I suspect that my upper jaw has grown too far downward. Thanks.
There are great doctors all over the world, but you need to do your homework and find the great ones in your area. As to the mouth breathing....all I can tell you is what they told me about my specific case. I was a mouth breather all my life - most likely because of sinus problems. This caused my palate to grow up higher and pull the maxilla into a narrow position (make sense?). My solution has been SARPE to widen the palate, and maybe (hopefuly not) another surgery to correct the open bite the SARPE caused. My lower is asymetrical, but I dont ' know if that has anyting to do with the mouth breathing...I doubt it.
You might want to address the reason you are a mouth breather too. I was a mouth breather for years, and in December I had upper jaw surgery AND deviated septum surgery - no one ever figured out WHY I was a mouth breather until I was 25.
And Delag and Meryetan--- REALLLLLLY??? I had no idea that's why the two were connected, just that statistically they were found together!! WOW!!!
And Delag and Meryetan--- REALLLLLLY??? I had no idea that's why the two were connected, just that statistically they were found together!! WOW!!!
Me too. I have a narrow palate, retrognathia, and anterior open bite. I always thought my mouth-breathing was caused by these jaw deficiencies...never thought about it being the other way around.brendan wrote:wow.
i have been a mouth breather always and i have these issues. crazy sesame. wish i fixed this problem when i was 10
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fromjersey
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 1:51 pm
- Location: San Diego
I will be 80 this month and was a mouth breather all my life. In 1970's before the internet I did research at medical libraries. I found mouth-breathing cause of retrognathia, narrow dental arches and maxillary process (upper jaw) growing down too far. Lovely gummy smile. Allergies and swollen nasal turbinates, deviated septum give us mouth breathing. Nose gets plugged up and our mouth opens to breathe.
For instance, in the 1970's I found journal articles with illustrations of classic Class II malocclusion, calling the problem "allergic facies". Receding chin, open mouth, bags under eyes.
Helen
For instance, in the 1970's I found journal articles with illustrations of classic Class II malocclusion, calling the problem "allergic facies". Receding chin, open mouth, bags under eyes.
Helen
Wow. i have always had bags under my damn eyes too. As well as receded chin...fromjersey wrote:I will be 80 this month and was a mouth breather all my life. In 1970's before the internet I did research at medical libraries. I found mouth-breathing cause of retrognathia, narrow dental arches and maxillary process (upper jaw) growing down too far. Lovely gummy smile. Allergies and swollen nasal turbinates, deviated septum give us mouth breathing. Nose gets plugged up and our mouth opens to breathe.
For instance, in the 1970's I found journal articles with illustrations of classic Class II malocclusion, calling the problem "allergic facies". Receding chin, open mouth, bags under eyes.
Helen
My jaw doctor told me one of my turbinates is too [big i think] and therefore its just not logical/wont work to breath through my nose. Hes going to try to fix that while doing jaw surgery.
Well it's good to know that the effects of mouth breathing are well documented. But are any of you familiar with the University of Pennsylvania's dental programs? I hear that the dental and medical schools there are good, so I imagine consulting with an orthodontics professor and surgeon there might be a good idea. Would you agree?
Mouth Breathing = BAD, BAD, BAD. Most OD, general dentists and many medical professionals in general seem to be totally unaware, insentive to etc. this issue. After watching this phenomenon in my DD for many years and being aware NOW of all of the issues I would say it is multi-faceted. In my DD's case I believe it began with an allergy which led to the mouth breathing which led to the improper development of the upper jaw, lower jaw receding etc. I would strongly suggest you get yourself evaluated for allergies. This has to be addressed.
It seriously sucks i didnt even realize this until i was 21 years oldrosy22 wrote:Mouth Breathing = BAD, BAD, BAD. Most OD, general dentists and many medical professionals in general seem to be totally unaware, insentive to etc. this issue. After watching this phenomenon in my DD for many years and being aware NOW of all of the issues I would say it is multi-faceted. In my DD's case I believe it began with an allergy which led to the mouth breathing which led to the improper development of the upper jaw, lower jaw receding etc. I would strongly suggest you get yourself evaluated for allergies. This has to be addressed.
I still dont know what im allergic too or what the cause was and is either.. i just cant breath well through my nose
Rosy
Do you have any info on getting evaluated for Allergies or do you think its just because of my large Turbinite?
Also, does anyone have any links or documentation about mouth breathing causing these issues?
this is baffling to me. knowing that i could have had a proper jaw and airway if i simply corrected my mouth breathing when i was a kid [/b]
Do you have any info on getting evaluated for Allergies or do you think its just because of my large Turbinite?
Also, does anyone have any links or documentation about mouth breathing causing these issues?
this is baffling to me. knowing that i could have had a proper jaw and airway if i simply corrected my mouth breathing when i was a kid
[/b]http://www.sarkissiandds.com/articles/1009.html
http://www.capitolent.net/mouth.htm
http://www.atlantadentist.com/Mouth_Breathing.html
Wow. I cant believe this!!! Every single problem ive ever had is related to mouth breathing:
- As a child I had horrible ear infections OFTEN.
- I have developed bags under my eyes since a young child
- I have forward neck/head posture and neck/upper and lower back pain
- I had the most extreme sore throat problem, which led to 3 peritonsular abscesses and finally had my tonsils removed @ 19/20
- Dry mouth and bad breath
- Swallowing / eating problems. Gasping for air while eating, which made me eat extremely fast. I still eat fast as hell for some reason and cant stop it.
- Got sick all the time growing up [weakened immune system]
- Crowded teeth growing up, had to wear appliances throughout childhood, then braces in high school
- ALWAYS so damn tired, yawning 100 times a day since i was 13, thought i had chronic fatigue syndrome.. fatigue.. etc
- the articles didnt say it, but it did mention overweight, and i have to do about 5-6 days of cardio a week to keep myself in check. I gain weight so damn easy its not even funny. my metabolism is horrible
and last but not least:
- Small /receded chin, receded lower jaw, recessed upper jaw
I cannot believe this. Makes me so angry that my parents didnt notice this sesame when i was a kid! I mean god damn, you think the DOCTORS would have said something. I must have had at least 20 'stage 4' ear infections as a child.
I want to go bash my head in a wall im so angry:(
http://www.capitolent.net/mouth.htm
http://www.atlantadentist.com/Mouth_Breathing.html
Wow. I cant believe this!!! Every single problem ive ever had is related to mouth breathing:
- As a child I had horrible ear infections OFTEN.
- I have developed bags under my eyes since a young child
- I have forward neck/head posture and neck/upper and lower back pain
- I had the most extreme sore throat problem, which led to 3 peritonsular abscesses and finally had my tonsils removed @ 19/20
- Dry mouth and bad breath
- Swallowing / eating problems. Gasping for air while eating, which made me eat extremely fast. I still eat fast as hell for some reason and cant stop it.
- Got sick all the time growing up [weakened immune system]
- Crowded teeth growing up, had to wear appliances throughout childhood, then braces in high school
- ALWAYS so damn tired, yawning 100 times a day since i was 13, thought i had chronic fatigue syndrome.. fatigue.. etc
- the articles didnt say it, but it did mention overweight, and i have to do about 5-6 days of cardio a week to keep myself in check. I gain weight so damn easy its not even funny. my metabolism is horrible
and last but not least:
- Small /receded chin, receded lower jaw, recessed upper jaw
I cannot believe this. Makes me so angry that my parents didnt notice this sesame when i was a kid! I mean god damn, you think the DOCTORS would have said something. I must have had at least 20 'stage 4' ear infections as a child.
I want to go bash my head in a wall im so angry:(
Brenden,
Please try not to be angry at your parents. I am carrying a tremdous amount of "mother guilt" about this now. I relied upon the medical doctors - ENT, pediatricians etc, OD, pediatric dentists, regular dentists and everyone else that SHOULD have known better and addressed this issue. NONE of them did or even mentioned it! If your parents are not medical professionals themselves, like me, how could they have known this was such a huge issue? It is an epidemic of ignorance in the medical community in regard to this issue. A few professionals out there are addressing it but it is light years away from being main stream knowledge and being put into use in treatment. All I can do now is deal with my own guilt, vow to do all in my power not to be ingorant again and move on in getting appropriate treatment.
As to allergy testing, I'd recommend two things. One, get SKIN allergy tests from a board certified allergy specialist. This will give specific info on what you are allergic to. Be aware NONE of this stuff is perfect but it is better than the blood testing judging from my experience. The testing can be somewhat painful but you can use Emla creme to dull the pricks. After the testing you will undergo the allergy shots. For best effectiveness, they should continue for THREE years. Yes, you heard right. Also be aware you can become allergic to new things. This can and does happen to many/most people. I have been through testing and treatment twice in my life. If you move, you have to start all over again because allergens will be different in different parts of country. The shots seem to help about 80% of folks. It is not a cure, it is a way to deal with your symptoms. It can and usually does help. It is a pain- pardon the pun, but it has helped my DD and me and I would recommend it. Insurance will usually cover the cost.
The other thing I would suggest you look into is NAET testing and treatment. This is an alternative therapy for allergies. They use the "C" word - cure. Both of my DDs are going through this now. I found out about it in my research. It involves doing some testing using vials of the substances then doing gentle spinal manipulations as treatment. You have to avoid substance you are being treated for for 25 hours after wards. My youngest DD which does not want to have shots started with this. At first I thought it might just be mumble jumble but I think it is helping. On the upside, there are NO medical risks, no shots, no pain. On the downside, some insurances will not cover this. Mine does not. It is $50 a treatment here.You may need many treatments depending on how much you are allergic ito. We live in high cost area however. If you do a search for NAET you will find info. I believe person that develped it is located in CA and has a clinic there. If you'd like, PM me and I will send you name of this doctor.
Another thing I would suggest you look into if you do not do already is using some type of saline nasal rinse/spray/cleansing system such as Neti Pot or my personal favorite just a baby syringe with salt water. This has done wonders for me throughout the years. No risk, be gentle of vourse, and very helpful in cleaning out irritants. It is like when you go to beach and can "breath". Some of the prescription nasal sprays can also help but you must use them all the time and they do have side effects.
I have found a very FEW studies in which OD are working with ENT and OS to try and figure all of these things out. Most of these studies have been from European researchers I believe. If I come across them again, I will save and post.
A few interesting sites for you to look at are;
www.facefocused.com
www.orthotropics.com
www.myoresearch.com
www.nosebreath.com
www.dc-dds.com
www.smilepage.com
www.iccmo.org
http:cri-net.org - no www on this.
Hope these sites are still working. They also contain helpful links so you can educate yourself. I find I know more than most of the providers we see when it comes to this area. Scarey I know.
Please try not to be angry at your parents. I am carrying a tremdous amount of "mother guilt" about this now. I relied upon the medical doctors - ENT, pediatricians etc, OD, pediatric dentists, regular dentists and everyone else that SHOULD have known better and addressed this issue. NONE of them did or even mentioned it! If your parents are not medical professionals themselves, like me, how could they have known this was such a huge issue? It is an epidemic of ignorance in the medical community in regard to this issue. A few professionals out there are addressing it but it is light years away from being main stream knowledge and being put into use in treatment. All I can do now is deal with my own guilt, vow to do all in my power not to be ingorant again and move on in getting appropriate treatment.
As to allergy testing, I'd recommend two things. One, get SKIN allergy tests from a board certified allergy specialist. This will give specific info on what you are allergic to. Be aware NONE of this stuff is perfect but it is better than the blood testing judging from my experience. The testing can be somewhat painful but you can use Emla creme to dull the pricks. After the testing you will undergo the allergy shots. For best effectiveness, they should continue for THREE years. Yes, you heard right. Also be aware you can become allergic to new things. This can and does happen to many/most people. I have been through testing and treatment twice in my life. If you move, you have to start all over again because allergens will be different in different parts of country. The shots seem to help about 80% of folks. It is not a cure, it is a way to deal with your symptoms. It can and usually does help. It is a pain- pardon the pun, but it has helped my DD and me and I would recommend it. Insurance will usually cover the cost.
The other thing I would suggest you look into is NAET testing and treatment. This is an alternative therapy for allergies. They use the "C" word - cure. Both of my DDs are going through this now. I found out about it in my research. It involves doing some testing using vials of the substances then doing gentle spinal manipulations as treatment. You have to avoid substance you are being treated for for 25 hours after wards. My youngest DD which does not want to have shots started with this. At first I thought it might just be mumble jumble but I think it is helping. On the upside, there are NO medical risks, no shots, no pain. On the downside, some insurances will not cover this. Mine does not. It is $50 a treatment here.You may need many treatments depending on how much you are allergic ito. We live in high cost area however. If you do a search for NAET you will find info. I believe person that develped it is located in CA and has a clinic there. If you'd like, PM me and I will send you name of this doctor.
Another thing I would suggest you look into if you do not do already is using some type of saline nasal rinse/spray/cleansing system such as Neti Pot or my personal favorite just a baby syringe with salt water. This has done wonders for me throughout the years. No risk, be gentle of vourse, and very helpful in cleaning out irritants. It is like when you go to beach and can "breath". Some of the prescription nasal sprays can also help but you must use them all the time and they do have side effects.
I have found a very FEW studies in which OD are working with ENT and OS to try and figure all of these things out. Most of these studies have been from European researchers I believe. If I come across them again, I will save and post.
A few interesting sites for you to look at are;
www.facefocused.com
www.orthotropics.com
www.myoresearch.com
www.nosebreath.com
www.dc-dds.com
www.smilepage.com
www.iccmo.org
http:cri-net.org - no www on this.
Hope these sites are still working. They also contain helpful links so you can educate yourself. I find I know more than most of the providers we see when it comes to this area. Scarey I know.
Agreed with Rosy, Brendan, you gotta chill about the 'rents, man. They don't know what they're doing, a professional tells them "do this" and they do it. End of story. And at some point, we all individually have to stand up and make our own choices and decisions on how to proceed with our medical care... of course, for some of us that happens earlier in life, and for some, later. I learned this at 16, when I suddenly realized, wait a minute, I've not been to a dentist for a cleaning in almost a year and both my divorced parents think the other parent is taking care of it;)
And, I also went to numerous professionals who never figured out that I couldn't breath through my nose because of a deviated septum... I had gym coaches calling me lazy and asking if I was smoking cigarettes or been diagnosed with asthma, I went to allergy specialists, chiropractors, massage therapists, etc, and everyone always thought their specialty was the specialty that could solve the issues... until someone finally DID figure it out down the road. But no use crying over spilled milk; seriously, just focus on the future and move on. You can't fix the past, but you can take positive steps and personal responsibility going forward for your own medical needs.
P.S. WOW on bags under eyes.... I HAD NO IDEA. But now that you mentioned it, I DO have less dark circles under eyes than before. WOW.
And, I also went to numerous professionals who never figured out that I couldn't breath through my nose because of a deviated septum... I had gym coaches calling me lazy and asking if I was smoking cigarettes or been diagnosed with asthma, I went to allergy specialists, chiropractors, massage therapists, etc, and everyone always thought their specialty was the specialty that could solve the issues... until someone finally DID figure it out down the road. But no use crying over spilled milk; seriously, just focus on the future and move on. You can't fix the past, but you can take positive steps and personal responsibility going forward for your own medical needs.
P.S. WOW on bags under eyes.... I HAD NO IDEA. But now that you mentioned it, I DO have less dark circles under eyes than before. WOW.