Kids Form and Function      

Is Your Child Breathing Through Their Mouth?

Breathing through the mouth may seem harmless, but when it becomes a long-term habit, it can affect a child's growth, development, sleep quality, oral health, and overall well-being. Proper nasal breathing plays an important role in facial development, airway health, concentration, athletic performance, and sleep.

If your child is consistently breathing through their mouth, they may experience a variety of signs and symptoms.

Attention & Behavior

Children with improper breathing patterns may experience:

• Difficulty concentrating

• Hyperactivity

• Impulsivity

• Irritability

• Poor emotional regulation

• ADHD-like symptoms

• Daytime fatigue due to poor-quality sleep

Oral & Facial Development

Chronic mouth breathing can influence the way the face and jaws develop, leading to:

• Narrow upper jaw (high, narrow palate)

• Crowded teeth

• Crossbite or other bite issues

• Long, narrow facial appearance

• Recessed chin

• Low tongue posture

• Tongue thrust swallowing pattern

• Speech articulation difficulties

Physical Performance

Breathing efficiency can impact physical activity and recovery. Signs may include:

• Reduced exercise endurance

• Becoming winded easily

• Poor recovery after activity

• Difficulty maintaining proper posture

• Neck and shoulder tension

Eating & Swallowing

Improper oral muscle function can affect how children eat and swallow:

• Picky eating

• Difficulty chewing tougher foods

• Messy eating

• Gagging on certain food textures

• Open-mouth chewing

• Frequent coughing or choking while eating

Myofunctional Therapy

Myofunctional therapy is a specialized program that retrains the muscles of the tongue, lips, cheeks, and face to support healthy breathing, swallowing, chewing, speaking, and oral rest posture.

Through individualized exercises and habit retraining, myofunctional therapy helps children develop the muscle function needed to support proper growth and healthy airway development.

Additional Treatment Options

Depending on your child's age and individual needs, additional tools may be recommended to help correct muscle imbalances and guide healthy oral development, including:

• Myo Munchee®

• Myobrace® System

• Clear aligner therapy

These tools may be used alongside myofunctional therapy to improve oral function, encourage proper jaw development, and support long-term treatment outcomes.

Goals of Myofunctional Therapy

• A myofunctional therapy program may help your child:

• Maintain comfortable lip closure at rest

• Establish proper tongue-to-palate posture

• Develop healthy nasal breathing habits

• Create an efficient swallowing pattern

• Improve chewing function

• Strengthen oral and facial muscles

• Support healthy airway function

• Promote optimal facial growth and development

• Support orthodontic treatment stability

Why Early Intervention Matters

The earlier breathing and oral function concerns are identified, the greater the opportunity to positively influence growth and development. By addressing the root causes of improper breathing patterns, children can develop healthier habits that support better sleep, improved focus, enhanced athletic performance, and lifelong oral health.

Schedule a Consultation

If you are concerned about your child's breathing, sleep, oral habits, or facial development, we would be happy to help determine whether myofunctional therapy or other treatment may be beneficial.