The causes of mouth breathing in children are almost always structural— most commonly enlarged tonsils and adenoids blocking the nasal airway.
A child who snores loudly, sleeps with their mouth open, is restless overnight, or is unusually tired despite adequate sleep hours may have obstructed nasal breathing. These are also key warning signs for paediatric sleep-disordered breathing, which in its more severe form is childhood obstructive sleep apnea.
If you suspect your child is a consistent mouth breather, the right pathway is to start with your GP or paediatrician for a referral to an ENT( ear, nose and throat) specialist. Removing or reducing enlarged tonsils and adenoids often resolves the issue— and when it does, the jaw frequently self-corrects to a significant degree, particularly in younger children whose growth is still active.
Your dentist can also assess for signs of mouth breathing impact on the palate and refer accordingly.
“ A Q U I C K C O N V E R S A T I O N T O D A Y C O U L D M A K E A B I G D I F F E R E N C E T O Y O U R C H I L D ' S S L E E P, H E A L T H A N D S M I L E”.
Dr Caroline Nguyen · Vivid Dental
M Y K I D S D E N T I S T · T E R M 3 2 0 2 6