Dr. Clark wants to know: Is your child a mouth breather?

At Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, we know breathing through the mouth instead of the nose may lead to trouble for kids. Now we have proof, thanks to a study published in the January/February 2010 issue of the journal General Dentistry.

Kids who typically breathe through their mouth - most often children who suffer from allergies - experience problems getting enough oxygen into their blood, a condition that affects their weight, size and sleep, which often affects their performance in classroom and daily life.

Dr. Yosh Jefferson, who authored the study, also notes that if left untreated, mouth breathing can cause dental and facial abnormalities. But there's good news: mouth breathing is a treatable condition. Doing so, however, requires early diagnosis and treatment. Since Drs. Clark and Reddy see their patients every six months, they may be in a position to identify the symptoms of mouth breathing.

If you suspect your child is a chronic mouth breather, please give our team at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry a call at 713.436.4080.

For more on mouth breathing, we encourage you to read the rest of the Dr. Jefferson's article. For more on children's dental health, head over to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services web site.