How to Stop Mouth Breathing: Dentist Tips

Do you ever wake up and wonder, “Why do I wake up with a dry mouth?” You might be part of the 50% of American adults who are chronic mouth breathers, as surveyed by the American Physiological Society. Habitually breathing through your mouth might not seem like a big deal at first, but when issues like dry mouth, jaw strain, and premature facial sagging start to crop up, it’s time to rethink the way your body breathes while you sleep. 

The Gleamery’s wellness-focused approach means more than just routine cleanings and whitenings. We want you to have a smile you’re proud of, and that includes addressing the root cause of a chronic dry mouth with airway health dentistry. Let’s unpack mouth breathing effects on teeth and how to stop mouth breathing with the support of airway dentistry in Los Angeles. 

Ask a Functional Dentist: Why Does My Mouth Feel Like a Desert When I Wake Up? 

Waking up with a parched throat, chalky tongue, and dry lips is associated with a mouth that doesn’t produce enough saliva during the night. And that is typically caused by chronic mouth breathing. The cycle works like this:

• Your airway is obstructed while you sleep
• Your lower jaw drops forward to open the airway back up
• Your open mouth causes saliva to evaporate faster than salivary glands can produce it
• You wake up with a mouth that feels like the Sahara Desert

Other factors can contribute to a dry mouth, such as not drinking enough water throughout the day, certain medications, or that third cold brew in the afternoon. But if sipping water before bed or putting a humidifier by your bedside doesn’t fix your dry mouth issue, the cause of your mouth breathing is likely related to your airway health. 

Is Chronic Open Mouth Sleeping Damaging My Smile?

Mouth breathing effects on teeth are mostly caused by chronic dry mouth. The saliva in your mouth is a first-line defense against acid that eats away at enamel and against bacteria that can harm gum and tooth health. When you constantly wake up with a dry mouth, you are at a higher risk of developing cavities, inflamed gums, low-grade fatigue,  or sensitive teeth. Chronic open-mouth sleeping can also have long-term aesthetic effects, such as crooked teeth or a narrow palate, particularly in young people with still-developing jaws. 

The structure of your jaw is closely connected to your airway health, and it all starts with your tongue. When your jaw is too narrow, your tongue doesn’t have a place to rest while you sleep, and that can cause a physical obstruction in your airway that prompts mouth breathing instead of nasal breathing. Airway health dentistry addresses jaw structure issues by assessing soft tissues, identifying recessed jaws, and coordinating with myofunctional therapy to train the tongue to adopt a better posture. 

How to Stop Mouth Breathing With Airway Health Dentistry

Fixing mouth breathing at night starts with a visit to a mouth-breathing dentist who can determine whether your chronic dry mouth is related to an airway issue. A Gleam360 Assessment is a comprehensive digital scan that combines 3D imaging with AI-assisted X-rays to look beyond the teeth for signs of an airway issue, such as the width of the upper and lower arches. 

With this diagnostic starting point, your expert at the Gleamery can recommend ways to stop mouth breathing. If the underlying cause of nighttime mouth breathing is a narrow palate or recessed jaw, correcting the structure of your jaw with GleamFit Overnight Aligners might be an option worth exploring. By gently expanding the arch, more room is created for your tongue to rest in a proper position, naturally encouraging nasal breathing.

Airway Dentistry in Los Angeles: Common Questions

Is it normal to breathe through my mouth while sleeping?

No. Nasal breathing is your body’s preferred way to intake air, so open-mouth sleeping usually points to airway health issues. Sometimes breathing through your mouth while sleeping is due to congestion from a cold or allergies, but if you’re waking up with a dry mouth every night, you might have a long-term problem that needs to be addressed by airway health dentistry. 

Does fixing mouth breathing help with TMJ discomfort?

Yes, correcting tongue posture and airway obstruction can often help with TMJ discomfort. When your oral posture improves, your jaw is under less strain throughout the day and night, which means waking up with less TMJ discomfort. 

Do dentists only care about teeth and cavities?

While the health of your teeth is a primary concern for any dentist, the experts at The Gleamery in Studio City care about your holistic wellness, which means caring about your whole-body health. A big part of your whole-body health is your airway. When your airway is constricted, your health (and beauty) suffers. As your wellness partners, we will create a personalized care plan to address both smile and airway wellness at the same time. 

Hit the “Snooze” on Chronic Mouth Breathing

Chronic mouth breathing effects on teeth can cause long-term issues, like enamel erosion or gum disease. Airway dentistry in Los Angeles begins with determining the cause of your dry mouth through a comprehensive examination, such as the Gleam360 Assessment, and then creating a holistic care plan to address the underlying causes of your open-mouth breathing at night. 

Start addressing your breathing patterns with airway-focused dental care at The Gleamery in Santa Monica. Book a consultation today to protect your teeth and get the restorative sleep you deserve.