Is your child a mouth breather? While you may think this is a temporary habit or harmless tendency, chronic mouth breathing can compromise your child’s smile health as well as their facial development. There are many reasons why your child may choose to breathe through his or her mouth instead of their nose. Common culprits include chronic nasal obstruction, in which the body automatically reverts to mouth breathing when the nose isn’t bringing in enough oxygen. Some kids are mouth breathers all day long, and others resort to this form of inhalation during sleep. Either way, it is important to address this habit before it causes serious issues. (more…)