A condition where a person breathes most of the time through their mouth and not their nose. Allergies, nasal obstruction and enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids may be associated with mouth breathing. If a person does not have a nasal breathing pattern, the upper jaw can tend to not grow correctly and orthodontic problems may result. Problems such as a narrow upper jaw, crossbite, and crowded protruding upper front teeth can arise. An ear, nose and throat physician may need to be seen to perform an airway evaluation to determine the extent of the problem.
