Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders (SRBD) can often stem from factors such as low tongue posture and soft diets, resulting in decreased mouth size, retrognathic maxilla, and malocclusion. Habitual suction of the tongue to the palate encourages the development of a wide arch, nasal sinuses, and forward growth of the maxilla. Historically, the act of chewing and strengthening the alveolar process for approximately 1.5 hours per day allowed for the accommodation of all 32 teeth. However, modern children frequently consume soft, processed foods and drink them through pouches, leading to underdeveloped alveolar ridges, lingually inclined posterior teeth, and disrupted neutral zones.

Various factors like tongue ties, bottle feeding, pouch feeding, thumb sucking, and pacifiers can contribute to a narrow arch, deviated septum, and congestion. Habitual mouth breathing often precedes chronic nasal congestion, enlarged adenoids and tonsils, dry mouth, and cavities, all of which influence craniofacial respiratory changes. The low tongue posture of habitual mouth breathers can result in a longer face with a higher gonial angle that grows downward and backward toward the airway, narrowing it and potentially leading to less oxygen reaching the brain and fragmented sleep. Symptoms such as sweating, bedwetting, sleep apnea, night terrors, snoring, and restless sleep may manifest in affected children.

Screening and treating SRBD typically follow a preventative rather than a reactionary medical approach due to the multifactorial nature of each patient’s case. Treatment options often involve a combination of lifestyle modifications and individualized interventions. Interestingly, transitioning from mouth to nose breathing in pediatric airway patients can reduce the long-term risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes in adulthood.

In addition to Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT), adjunct therapies like Myofunctional Therapy, Frenuplasty, expansion orthodontics, and the Buteyko Breathing Method have proven useful in treating SRBD and craniofacial disorders.

Furthermore, our noses are uniquely designed to process the air we breathe by filtering, warming, humidifying it, and providing nitric oxide from the paranasal sinuses. For more in-depth analysis, refer to leading White Papers, and explore Recommended Books & Products that facilitate nasal breathing during both daytime and sleep.