Mouth Breathing and Tongue Posture Q/A

Tongue posture is important because it can dictate how the face forms. How the face forms will dictate how the teeth will sit in the face. If the tongue rests on the roof of the mouth, the mouth will be properly closed. This will allow the teeth to have the room they need to grow in with plenty of room.

If the tongue sits off of the roof of the mouth when at rest, the mouth tends to hang open. This drags the face downward. When the tongue is not on the roof of the mouth and this leaves less room for the teeth and causes them to crowd.

Mouth breathing also has an impact on the development of facial features. Mouth breathing in children impacts jaw development and facial structure. If a child continues to breathe through the mouth, the jaw will tend backward and compromise the airway and ability to breathe properly. 

When breathing through your mouth, the muscles in your cheeks have to work harder and become tighter. When these muscles tighten, a force is placed on the upper and lower jaw. This can cause a narrowing of the face and dental arches. Having a narrower face can mean that the mouth has less room for the tongue and the teeth.

This pushes the tongue posture to a position where the tongue is resting off of the roof of the mouth. This allows the tongue to slip back into the airway, making it more difficult to breathe. The tongue dropping down can change the structure of the mid-face region. Children who breathe more often develop long and narrow faces with a less prominent jaw and retracted chin.

Tongue-tie is a condition where the tongue has a limited ability to move in the mouth. Sometimes surgery may be needed to correct this issue. There are two types of procedures that can be done for this, frenotomy or frenuloplasty.

Frenotomy is a simple procedure that can be done with or without anesthesia. This means that it can be done at a doctor’s office. The doctor will snip the portion under the tongue, called a frenulum. The procedure is quick and there is little discomfort because there are few blood vessels and nerves in the frenulum.

Frenuloplasty is a little more complicated and might be needed if additional repair is required or the frenulum is thick. This procedure is done under general anesthesia. After the frenulum is released, the incision will require sutures.

Getting a tongue-tie release makes it easier for the tongue to move around in the mouth. It makes it easier to speak and allows the tongue to move more smoothly. It releases tension in the face, allowing it to relax. The tongue-tie release will allow for much easier breathing and can improve oral health.

Forward head posture is something many people struggle with. A quick look at a crowd of people and you will see a number of posture issues.

The tongue is such an important part of the structure of the mouth and airway. This means that it also is a part of the structure of the head and neck. The tongue needs to have a proper posture, resting against the roof of the mouth for the face to develop well and for ease of breathing. If it does not do this, it can impact the posture of the head as the head will move forward to try to open the airway.

Allure Dental Center can help address these issues. Catching them early can make facial development easier and may prevent other issues from developing later in life. If you would like to find out more, please contact the wonderful staff and they will be glad to help you. We serve patients from Mountain View CA, Sunnyvale CA, Los Altos CA, Stanford CA, Menlo Park CA, Atherton CA, Loyola CA, Cupertino CA, Palo Alto CA, Redwood City CA, and surrounding Bay Area Cities.