Your Breathing Impacts How Your Teeth and Face Look
Your Breathing Impacts How Your Teeth and Face Look
Your Breathing Impacts How Your Teeth and Face Look
Good breathing and cosmetic dentistry are closely related. Having sufficient space for your nasal passages and your sinuses is essential. The shape and size of your upper jaw determine the shape and size of your nasal passages and sinuses. Your upper and lower jaw also determine how much room your tongue has to be in your mouth. Your tongue has the potential to block your airway, so there are important reasons for creating more space and for aligning your teeth.
For the most straightforward cases, we use and recommend Invisalign. We may also work closely with an orthodontist for the more complex cases. Creating more space and improving your airway is the main approach to support good breathing.
Good Breathing Habits Support Oral Health
Dysfunctional breathing can have a huge impact on your sleep and therefore your overall health.
If we breathe through our mouth, our breathing is dysfunctional. Our upper and lower jaws may not develop to their full potential, the air will not be filtered, our bodies may be more acidic and our posture can also be affected.
The natural way to breathe when resting is through the nose, not the mouth
- Our nose is designed to filter, warm and humidify the air we breathe
- The nose can effectively filter toxins when breathing
- The mucous lining of the nasal passage can kill microbes as you breathe
- Nitric oxide is produced with nasal breathing. This supports the body to absorb oxygen, keeping blood flowing, blood vessels open, and smooth muscles working in harmony
- Breathing through the nose also helps you to slow down, reducing stress and hypertension
Mouth Breathing Vs Nose Breathing
If a child or an adult breathes through their mouth, then the tongue drops from the top of the mouth and the upper arch gets pushed in by the cheek muscles, which leads to crowding of the teeth – often seen in a person with a narrow jaw.
A narrow ‘upper’ jaw can lead to a reduced airway which, in turn, can compromise breathing.
Well-aligned teeth and a broader jaw can contribute to better breathing habits and function. Well-aligned teeth are also much easier to clean! Keeping teeth clean easily and simply is a good outcome for both long-term oral and general health.
A Confident Smile Is A Healthy Smile
The way you are perceived is the way you perceive yourself. There is much more than aesthetics involved here.
Start Early to Create Good Breathing Habits with Children
It is possible to positively intervene when children are really young. At the age of about six, we can start to retrain good tongue and lip function and effective swallowing and breathing patterns. Parents can be involved in creating good oral and sleep habits with kids. This can work in your favour for a better airway long-term, aesthetically create a much better smile and lead to better long-term health.
At SHDC, both Dr Yin Yin Teoh and Dr Lewis Ehrlich often focus on creating a good start with kids using Myofunctional appliances. You can be very proactive and achieve better aesthetics and a better airway at the same time.
