Concept
Mouth breathing
Related concepts (4)
Oral hygiene
Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's oral cavity clean and free of disease and other problems (e.g. bad breath) by regular brushing of the teeth (dental hygiene) and adopting good hygiene habits. It is important that oral hygiene be carried out on a regular basis to enable prevention of dental disease and bad breath. The most common types of dental disease are tooth decay (cavities, dental caries) and gum diseases, including gingivitis, and periodontitis.
Nasal congestion
Nasal congestion is the partial or complete blockage of nasal passages, leading to impaired nasal breathing, usually due to membranes lining the nose becoming swollen from inflammation of blood vessels. In about 85% of cases, nasal congestion leads to mouth breathing rather than nasal breathing. According to Jason Turowski, MD of the Cleveland Clinic, "we are designed to breathe through our noses from birth—it's the way humans have evolved." This is referred to as "obligate nasal breathing.
Obligate nasal breathing
Obligate nasal breathing describes a physiological necessity to breathe through the nose (or other forms of external nasal passages, depending on the species) as opposed to breathing through the mouth. The term may be misleading, as it implies that the organism has no choice but to breathe through its nose; however, it is also used to describe cases where effective breathing through the mouth is possible but not preferred. Alternatively, the term has been defined by some as the ability to breathe through the nose while swallowing.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics is a dentistry specialty that addresses the diagnosis, prevention, management, and correction of mal-positioned teeth and jaws, as well as misaligned bite patterns. It may also address the modification of facial growth, known as dentofacial orthopedics. Abnormal alignment of the teeth and jaws is very common. Nearly 50% of the developed world's population, according to the American Association of Orthodontics, has malocclusions severe enough to benefit from orthodontic treatment, although this figure decreases to less than 10% according to the same AAO statement when referring to medically necessary orthodontics.