Nasal Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing - Priya Mistry, DDS (the TMJ doc) #mouthbreathing #tmjd #tmj

Summary

In this informative video, Priya Mistry, a general dentist specializing in TMJ disorders, discusses the importance of nasal breathing over mouth breathing. She explains how nasal breathing filters, humidifies, and regulates air temperature for optimal lung efficiency, while mouth breathing bypasses these benefits, leading to health issues such as fatigue and TMJ disorders. Priya emphasizes the importance of consulting an ENT for nasal issues and working with a Myofunctional Therapist to correct mouth breathing habits, particularly in children. The video highlights the connection between mouth breathing, sleep apnea, and TMJ disorders, offering solutions for better breathing health.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nasal breathing is far superior to mouth breathing for overall health, especially for optimal lung function and oxygen efficiency.
• 😀 Nasal breathing filters, humidifies, and regulates the temperature of the air before it reaches the lungs, enhancing the quality of oxygen absorption.
• 😀 Mouth breathing bypasses these benefits, leading to more foreign particles entering the body and inefficient oxygen absorption.
• 😀 Mouth breathing can lead to dry mouth, coughing, bleeding gums, and cavities, especially during sleep.
• 😀 A deviated septum, chronic allergies, or severe swelling can make nasal breathing difficult. Seeing an ENT can help ensure nasal patency (ability to breathe through the nose).
• 😀 Mouth breathers often struggle with fatigue, as they must breathe more heavily to maintain oxygen levels, leading to exhaustion.
• 😀 Sleep disordered breathing (like sleep apnea) and mouth breathing can contribute to conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and depression.
• 😀 Myofunctional therapy (MFT) is recommended for mouth breathers to retrain the tongue, facial, and neck muscles for proper tongue posture and nasal breathing.
• 😀 Many TMJ patients are mouth breathers and have low tongue posture, which can contribute to TMJ disorders, including jaw pain, headaches, and ear pain.
• 😀 Addressing mouth breathing in children early can prevent a lifetime of TMJ disorders. It's important to check their airway and consider myofunctional therapy.

Q & A

Why is nasal breathing considered superior to mouth breathing?

Nasal breathing is superior because the nose filters, humidifies, and regulates the temperature of the air before it reaches the lungs, ensuring better oxygen absorption. This leads to optimal lung function and overall better health.

What are the main benefits of nasal breathing over mouth breathing?

The benefits of nasal breathing include improved oxygen saturation, reduced risk of dry mouth, bleeding gums, and cavities, and better lung function. It also helps prevent nighttime coughing and supports overall health by filtering and humidifying the air.

What happens if someone is unable to breathe through their nose?

If someone can't breathe through their nose due to conditions like a deviated septum, chronic allergies, or nasal swelling, it’s important to see an ENT specialist to ensure the nasal passages are clear and open.

What is the difference between mouth breathing and nasal breathing in terms of air processing?

Mouth breathing bypasses the nasal filtration and humidification process, leading to unfiltered, unhumidified, and unregulated air entering the lungs, which reduces the efficiency of oxygen absorption compared to the streamlined process of nasal breathing.

How can mouth breathing impact health over time?

Mouth breathing can lead to fatigue, poor oxygen saturation, dry mouth, and an increased risk of illnesses due to unfiltered air. It can also cause sleep disorders like sleep apnea, leading to conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and even depression.

How can mouth breathing affect sleep quality?

Mouth breathing during sleep can disrupt the body's oxygen saturation, leading to poor sleep quality. This often results in waking up feeling exhausted because the body has to work harder to maintain oxygen levels throughout the night.

What is Myofunctional Therapy (MFT) and how does it help with nasal breathing?

Myofunctional Therapy is a type of physical therapy that retrains the muscles of the tongue, face, and neck to support nasal breathing, proper tongue posture, and correct swallowing. This therapy is particularly helpful for people who have been mouth-breathers for a long time.

Why is tongue posture important for breathing?

Tongue posture plays a crucial role in supporting proper breathing. When the tongue is positioned correctly against the roof of the mouth, it helps maintain a proper airway and encourages nasal breathing, preventing the need for mouth breathing.

What is the connection between mouth breathing and TMJ disorders?

Mouth breathing, along with low tongue posture, can lead to increased stress and fatigue, which may cause clenching and grinding of teeth. This excessive force on the jaw joints can lead to TMJ disorders, including jaw pain, headaches, and neck pain.

How can early intervention help prevent TMJ disorders in children?

If children are identified as mouth breathers early on, addressing their breathing and airway issues through an ENT and Myofunctional Therapy can prevent the development of TMJ disorders. Early intervention is much easier in children and can prevent long-term health problems.