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Mouth breather and snoring treatment available at Glen Allen, VA dental office

The human body is designed to breathe through the nose, but many people are mouth breathers. While this may seem like a simple difference in how you breathe, it can have a dramatic impact on your health and wellness. Switching from mouth breathing to nasal breathing is also one method to stop snoring. At Virginia Biological Dentistry, biological dentist Dr. Olivia Hart offers mouth breathing treatment options to help you develop healthy breathing patterns and reduce snoring.

Mouth breathing: symptoms, complications, and treatments

Why is breathing through your nose so important? Your nasal passages act like both a filter and a humidifier to ensure that the air you take into your lungs is healthy, clean, and moisturized before it enters your lungs. Your nose also warms the air to the right temperature and increases the amount of oxygen you take in with each breath. Consequently, a mouth breather faces several health risks, including:

  • Improper facial and oral cavity development
  • Restricted airways and sinuses that lead to inefficient breathing and intake of oxygen
  • Increased number of infections and allergies due to a higher intake of viruses, bacteria, and allergens
  • Dry mouth, which can lead to more cavities and gum disease
  • Obstructive sleep apnea, a serious condition with potentially devastating health consequences
  • Snoring, which can negatively impact a mouth breather as well as a bed partner’s sleep and health

Aside from visually seeing that you or your child are mouth breathing, there are several other symptoms:

  • Snoring
  • Bad breath
  • Hoarse voice
  • Feeling fatigued and like you didn’t get a good night’s sleep
  • Brain fog

Mouth breathing and snoring solutions

If you are wondering how to prevent snoring, then seeking an assessment and treatment for mouth breathing is a good place to start. Traditionally, care for this condition has focused on the treatment of symptoms, such as CPAP treatment for sleep apnea, rather than addressing the cause of the problem. At Virginia Biological Dentistry, Dr. Hart offers several ways for mouth breathers to reduce or even eliminate snoring and return to healthy nasal breathing patterns:

  • ALF appliance for children to encourage healthy oral development by re-orienting the bones, muscles, and tongue
  • Myobrace to help improve children’s oral habits and properly align the dental arches and teeth for improved oral development and breathing
  • NightLase® treatment that uses laser technology to treat the oral mucosa tissue that can contribute to snoring and sleep apnea
  • Oral appliances to help adults sleep with a healthy “lips closed – teeth open” position

To schedule an evaluation and learn more about your options, call our Glen Allen, VA office today at (804) 381-6238 or email us at (804) 381-6238.