Does your child suffer from any of the following health issues such as crooked teeth, an open mouth, snoring, a small or droopy jaw?

Well, you be interested in reading Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic, a book written by Dr. Sandra Kahn and Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich. The book states that a silent epidemic is occurring – our jaws are diminishing in size and our teeth becoming crooked and cramped, causing not only appearance challenges but also breathing difficulties. The theory is that dental overcrowding and jaw problems are a byproduct of civilization, with changes in behavior and jaw function playing a major role in the inadequate growth of jaws, leading to health problems in our children such as sleep apnea, malocclusion, and stress.

The book goes into details in how modernization plays a key role in oral evolution. The human skull has undergone a transformation over the centuries, shaped by our diet and lifestyle. Hunter-gatherers, who relied on hunting and gathering for their food, had large jaws, straight teeth and all 32 teeth including wisdom teeth. However, with the advent of agriculture and the subsequent industrialization, our diet and lifestyle underwent a drastic change. We started consuming softer foods and our need for chewing decreased, leading to a change in the size of our jaws. As we stopped exercising our jaw muscles, they became smaller, having less space for a full set of teeth and pulling our jaw back. Diminishing jaw size also caused other health problems like obstruction of airway passages.

Another symptom of modernization is our children are spending more time indoors, which increases their exposure to allergens and can lead to respiratory issues. Our bodies need oxygen to survive, and when the ability to breathe through the nose is impeded by chronic allergies, large tonsils or adenoids, or structural issues like a deviated septum, the body will try to find the easiest way to breathe, which is often through the mouth.

Why is breathing from the mouth bad?

Mouth breathing has been associated with an increase in occurrences of illnesses and allergies. The nose plays a vital role in filtering out harmful particles and adding moisture to the air we inhale. But when breathing through the mouth, these protective and beneficial functions are not being performed.

Breathing from the mouth can also lead to snoring. When a child snores, he hangs his jaw open while sleeping and doesn’t allow the tongue to rest in the lower jaw. This leads to the tongue moving down to the throat, blocking part of the airway passage to the lung. Snoring is an early sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that disrupts sleep and can cause a decrease in oxygen levels or an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the body. This can prevent a child from getting the restful and healthy sleep he needs. If left untreated, OSA can lead to other health issues like depression, obesity, ADHD, cognitive impairment , cardiovascular disease, cancer and more.  

One solution is to fix oral posture at an early age.

What is oral posture?

Oral posture refers to the position of the jaw, tongue, and other oral structures during daily activities. Parents may not be aware of their child’s oral posture unless it is brought to their attention. Oral posture plays an important role in breathing. It’s important to be mindful of how your child is breathing, whether it’s through their nose or mouth, whether the lips are closed, and where the tongue is positioned.

How can you identify good vs bad oral posture?

Good:

• the mouth is closed with teeth slightly touching
• the lips are closed
• the tongue is resting on the roof of the mouth
• nasal breathing

Bad:

• open mouth breathing during day or night
• inability to close lips fully
• jaws shifted to either side
• long narrow facial structure
• tongue resting low in the mouth or protruding forward
• droopy jaw extending down and back
• snoring
• drooling

What can parents do?

• Correct oral resting posture by bringing awareness to the position of tongue, teeth and lips
• teach inhaling from nose
• build strength in your jaw muscles by eating a variety of natural whole foods and chewing foods thoroughly on both sides of the mouth before swallowing
• Do this early on starting starting as early as 2 years old
• Visit a specialist