Mouth Breathing in Adults

The Hidden Epidemic of Mouth Breathing

Humans are obligate nasal breathers. The nose is designed to filter, warm, and humidify the air we breathe, while also producing nitric oxide—a powerful molecule that dilates blood vessels and improves oxygen absorption by up to 18%. When we habitually breathe through our mouths, we bypass this entire critical system.

In adults, chronic mouth breathing is often the result of unresolved childhood airway issues, allergies, a deviated septum, or a narrow upper jaw that doesn't provide enough room for the nasal cavity above it.

How Mouth Breathing Affects Your Health

• Sleep Disruption: Mouth breathing during sleep causes the tongue to fall back, obstructing the airway and leading to snoring, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), or Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).
• Oral Health Decline: Breathing through the mouth dries out saliva, which is the mouth's natural defence against bacteria. This drastically increases the risk of cavities, gum disease, and chronic bad breath.
• Facial Ageing & Posture: To open the airway, mouth breathers often adopt a forward head posture, leading to chronic neck and shoulder tension. Over decades, the lack of tongue pressure on the palate can lead to a narrowing of the face and a recessed jaw.
• Chronic Fatigue: Reduced oxygen absorption and fragmented sleep leave you feeling exhausted, regardless of how many hours you spend in bed.

Our Airway-Focused Solutions

At ASURA Longevity Dentistry, we don't just treat the dental symptoms; we look at the structural causes of your breathing dysfunction.

• Adult Palatal Expansion (MARPE): By widening the upper jaw, we also widen the floor of the nasal cavity, significantly reducing nasal airway resistance and making nasal breathing easier.
• Myofunctional Therapy: We retrain the muscles of the face, tongue, and throat to establish a proper lip seal and resting tongue posture, encouraging a transition back to nasal breathing.
• Collaborative Care: We work closely with ENT specialists to address structural nasal blockages when necessary.