A student research review of the mouthbreathing habit: discussing measurement methods, manifestations and treatment of the mouthbreathing habit.

Mouthbreathing as an oral habit is seldom discussed in detail and as a consequence has tended to be overlooked by dental professionals. This review paper is an in-depth look at the current research on the mouthbreathing habit. This report aims to inform the dental professional of the most current definition of mouthbreathing and the methods of measuring the habit, including both observational and quantitative techniques. The various factors that can cause a mouthbreathing habit, such as asthma, allergies and enlarged glandular tissue, are discussed in detail. A review of current data on the skeleto-facial, dental and gingival changes that occur in mouthbreathing individuals is given, with the intention of raising the awareness of dental professionals to the special needs of these patients.