Mouth breathing reduces oral function in adolescence

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Morphology
• Adolescent Health
• Respiratory Physiology

Background:

• Mouth breathing in children is a growing concern.
• The relationship between oral functions, craniofacial morphology, and breathing patterns in adolescents remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between breathing patterns (mouth vs. nasal), oral functions (tongue motor function), and craniofacial morphology in adolescents.
• To investigate the specific role of tongue function in adolescent mouth breathing.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving adolescents.
• Assessment of breathing patterns, lip-closing force, tongue pressure, masticatory efficiency, and craniofacial morphology (including C3-H measurement).

Main Results:

• Mouth-breathers exhibited a smaller C3-H (hyoid bone position relative to the third cervical vertebra) compared to nasal-breathers.
• Lip-closing force, tongue pressure, and masticatory efficiency were significantly lower in mouth-breathers than nasal-breathers.
• Tongue pressure was identified as a significant independent predictor of mouth breathing (OR=1.063, p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Mouth breathing in adolescents is associated with reduced lip-closing force, tongue pressure, and masticatory efficiency.
• Tongue pressure plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of mouth breathing in this population.
• Further research is needed to understand the underlying causes and mechanisms of mouth breathing in adolescents.