PHX Reporter

• Mouth breathing can lead to dental issues, including gingivitis and cavity development.
• As many as 60% of adults breathe through their mouth.
• Procedures such as a balloon sinuplasty or endoscopy can help a patient to breathe better through their nose.

Dr. John Stewart of Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says sinusitis can cause a patient to breathe only through their mouth, instead of their nose, which can actually cause dental issues.

"If you talk to any dentist, if (patients are) obligate mouth breathers, they end up drying out their mouth, and that is horrible to dentition," Stewart told PHX Reporter. "That saliva is very protective, and they'll get dental cavities 100 times faster than somebody who's breathing through their nose. If they're drying out their mouth by breathing through it solely at night, they'll lose their teeth or get gum recession."

According to Healthline, mouth breathing can dry out your mouth and create the perfect environment for gingivitis and cavity development, which can lead to more problems down the road.

People who suffer from allergies or chronic sinusitis are more likely to breathe through their mouths, but mouth breathing can cause oral health issues, according to McCarl Dental Group. Mouth breathing dries up saliva, which allows bacteria and plaque to build up on teeth, causing cavities, gum disease and chronic bad breath.

"There are people who wind up with implants," Stewart said. "When you talk to a prosthodontist, half of them say, ‘I wish I could get them to breathe through their nose before they ever made it to this stage."

Regularly breathing through the mouth can lead to strained jaw joints, snoring, sleep apnea, enlarged tonsils and a higher risk for airway disorders, such as asthma, according to McCarl Dental Group.

Although people should breathe through their noses most of the time, as many as 60% of adults mainly breathe through their mouths, according to KTM Yoga. Hair and mucus within the nose act as filters that trap bacteria and dust. Nasal breathing increases oxygen intake, boosts brain activity and helps to slow airflow, which widens blood vessels and slows the heart rate, leading to a feeling of calm.

People who suffer from chronic sinusitis have treatment options, such as endoscopy and balloon sinuplasty, according to WebMD. Endoscopy is a common procedure in which doctors insert thin, flexible instruments called endoscopes into the nose. One has a small camera that sends images back to a screen, allowing the doctor to see where sinus blockages are and guide the other instruments to gently remove polyps, scar tissue and other blockages. Doctors won’t cut into the skin, so recovery should be relatively short. Endoscopy is normally done with a local anesthetic, meaning the area will be numb and the patient remains awake. 

Another treatment is balloon sinuplasty, which is effective for those who don't need anything removed from the sinuses. A doctor puts a thin tube into the nose with a small balloon attached to one end. The doctor guides the balloon to the blocked area in the sinuses and inflates it, which helps clear the passageway so sinuses can drain properly, alleviating congestion.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.