Why Constant Mouth Breathing Can Become a Problem

If you often find yourself breathing through your mouth without noticing, you are not alone. Many adults and children develop this habit over time, especially when nasal breathing feels difficult or uncomfortable. But when mouth breathing becomes constant, it can start to affect more than just how you breathe.

Constant mouth breathing changes the way your body functions. It can dry out your mouth, impact your sleep, alter facial development in children, and even affect speech and concentration. While it might feel like an easy way to get more air, it is actually a sign that your airway and muscle coordination are out of balance.

At Primal Air, we help clients understand and correct the root causes of mouth breathing. Through Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and breathing retraining, including Buteyko Breathing Techniques, we focus on restoring nasal breathing, proper tongue posture, and natural rest position.

In this article, we’ll explore why constant mouth breathing develops, the hidden consequences of leaving it unaddressed, and how guided therapy and breathing retraining can help you return to effortless, healthy breathing.

Why your lips won’t stay sealed and your tongue stays low

The resting posture of your lips, tongue, and jaw may seem trivial, but it reflects underlying muscle habits, airway function, and neural control. Here’s what’s often happening:

• Open mouth posture and lip seal failure: Lips are designed to gently close at rest. When people breathe through the mouth habitually or experience nasal resistance, the lips may stay parted to allow easier airflow.

• Low tongue posture: Ideally, the tongue rests gently against the roof of the mouth. A low tongue posture means the tongue lies closer to the floor of the mouth or presses against the teeth. This weakens oral posture, reduces palatal suction, and may contribute to mouth breathing.

• Mouth breathing instead of nasal breathing: When airflow through the nose is compromised by allergies, congestion, or structural issues, the body defaults to mouth breathing. Over time, that becomes habitual even when the obstruction is gone. Mouth breathing changes jaw, tongue, and lip posture, reinforcing the pattern.

• Muscle imbalance and coordination loss: The muscles of the face, lips, cheeks, tongue, and jaw work together. Poor habits such as a low tongue position, parted lips, or mouth breathing mean these muscles are misused or underused. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy targets these muscles to restore proper rest posture and movement.

• Structural or airway issues: Sometimes, the problem is not just habit but nasal obstruction, enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or jaw structure. Even after airway surgery, some people continue to breathe through the mouth unless they retrain their muscle patterns.

If your mouth stays open at rest, your resting lip posture, tongue posture, and habitual breathing route are likely compromised. Without awareness and intervention, this pattern can persist and affect other areas of health.

What happens if you leave it unresolved

You might think open mouth posture or mouth breathing is harmless, but the consequences reach far beyond appearance. Ignoring these patterns can affect sleep, breathing, facial growth, speech, and dental health.

Sleep and breathing challenges

Habitual mouth breathing is linked with sleep disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Research shows that orofacial myofunctional disorders like mouth breathing and low tongue posture contribute to airway collapse during sleep. In children, mouth breathing often persists even after adenoid or tonsil surgery, increasing the risk of sleep issues. Poor sleep leads to daytime fatigue, attention problems, and mood changes.

Facial, dental, and growth implications

In children, resting posture influences jaw and facial development. Open mouth posture and mouth breathing are associated with narrow arches, long faces, and altered facial proportions. Even in adults, low tongue posture and mouth breathing can contribute to orthodontic relapse and swallowing problems. Studies show that myofunctional therapy can improve lip sealing, encourage nasal breathing, and support balanced facial growth in mouth breathers.

Speech and swallowing issues

Your tongue and mouth posture directly affect how you speak and swallow. Mouth breathing often coincides with tongue thrusting and poor control, which can interfere with speech development and articulation. Chronic low tongue posture and open lips may lead to difficulties pronouncing sounds like "s" or "sh."

Oral health and comfort

Breathing through the mouth dries the oral environment, reduces nitric oxide production from nasal breathing, and increases the risk of plaque buildup and gum irritation. It also causes dry mouth and discomfort. Nasal breathing supports healthy saliva flow and better oral conditions.

Habit entrenchment and harder correction

The longer mouth breathing continues, the more ingrained the muscle patterns become. What starts as a temporary adaptation can turn into a long-term default. Over time, retraining becomes more challenging, requiring greater consistency and longer therapy.

In essence, leaving mouth breathing unaddressed raises the risk of poor sleep, altered facial growth, speech problems, and long-term muscle imbalance.

A practical approach

A clear plan makes correction possible. Think of it as three steps: Assess, Retrain, and Reinforce.

Assess the airway and posture

Start by identifying the cause.

• Check nasal airflow: Is there congestion, allergies, or structural blockage? If so, medical evaluation may be needed.

• Evaluate resting posture: Observe how your lips, tongue, and jaw rest. Does your tongue touch the roof of your mouth? Do your lips close easily?

• Assess function: Notice swallowing and chewing patterns. Do you swallow with your tongue pressing forward or breathe through your mouth unconsciously?

• Review history: Consider when the open mouth posture began and if other health issues or dental treatments coincided.

Understanding the root cause is key before starting retraining.

Retrain the muscles and breathing pattern

This is where Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and breathing retraining work together.

• Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) strengthens and coordinates the lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw. It teaches the muscles to rest and move in healthier ways, supporting proper breathing and swallowing.

• Breathing retraining, including Buteyko Breathing Techniques, helps you reestablish nasal breathing, slow down over-breathing, and normalize carbon dioxide balance.

• Integration: The goal is to make lip seal and nasal breathing natural, not forced. Combining tongue-to-palate exercises with gentle nasal breathing builds new muscle memory.

• Consistency: Like any training, repetition matters. Short daily practice sessions yield the best results.

A simple awareness exercise: Sit upright and relaxed. Gently close your lips. Rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Breathe softly through your nose for 60 seconds. Practice several times daily.

Reinforce the new habits

Changing posture and breathing patterns means adjusting your environment and routines.

• Keep your nasal passages clear through allergy care or medical advice.

• Stay mindful during screen time, noticing if your mouth drops open.

• Maintain hydration to reduce dryness that encourages mouth opening.

• For children, parents can model nasal breathing and create small practice moments during the day.

• Track progress weekly with your therapist or clinician.

How Primal Air Fits

At Primal Air, we combine evidence-based breathing retraining with functional muscle re-education to help clients improve airway and facial balance. If you recognize open lips, low tongue posture, or mouth breathing in yourself or a loved one, we guide you through the process.

Our program includes:

• Breathing retraining, including Buteyko-inspired techniques for improving nasal comfort and breath control.

• Collaboration with Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy professionals who help retrain lips, tongue, and facial posture.

• Habit-building support, helping you make nasal breathing and proper posture automatic.

• Realistic expectations, since every client’s progress depends on consistency and anatomy.

Our aim is lasting change, not quick fixes. With awareness, guidance, and structured practice, your lips can close comfortably at rest, your tongue can rest where it belongs, and your breathing can become effortless and natural.

FAQs

What causes my lips to stay open at rest? Usually it is a mix of mouth breathing, low tongue posture, and weak muscle coordination. Nasal congestion or allergies can make the body choose mouth breathing, which then becomes habit.

Can Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy help me stop mouth breathing? Yes, OMT targets the muscle patterns that control lip seal, tongue position, and swallowing. With consistent practice, it can help restore nasal breathing and improve posture.

How do Buteyko Breathing Techniques fit in? Buteyko techniques promote nasal breathing and calm breathing rhythms. When used alongside OMT, they train the body to favor nasal breathing while improving relaxation and airflow efficiency.

Will correcting my tongue posture change my face shape or dental alignment? In children, better tongue posture and nasal breathing can influence jaw growth and facial structure. In adults, changes are subtler but still help improve comfort, breathing, and oral stability.

How long will it take to see improvement? You may notice better lip seal and awareness in a few weeks. Full habit change takes consistent practice over months, depending on the cause and your effort.

Closing Thoughts

An open mouth at rest is not just a habit, it is a signal. It shows that your body has adapted to an inefficient breathing pattern. This can affect sleep, facial development, speech, and oral health.

The good news is that with guidance, awareness, and consistent retraining, you can restore balance. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy builds muscle coordination and strength, while breathing retraining, such as Buteyko Breathing Techniques, re-establishes nasal breathing as your natural default.

At Primal Air, our mission is to help you make that transformation in a supportive, evidence-informed way. You do not need to force change overnight. Step by step, your lips can close at rest, your breathing can become calmer, and your health can improve from the inside out.

Breathe better, rest easier, and live more fully.

Discover how to Identify Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders and how Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can help - read our recent article here..