What Is Periodontal Disease? Signs, Causes & Treatment
July 16, 2026
November 12, 2024
Does your child snore when they sleep, have open-mouth breathing, or grind their teeth during sleep? If so, these problems may not be harmless issues that can just be overlooked.
Crowded teeth, low tongue posture, and mouth breathing are all linked, and together they can quietly affect your child’s sleep, concentration, mood, and even bladder control. The silver lining is that once you recognize this hidden link, it can be caught early and set up your child for optimal development.
Let’s break down how it all fits together and what you can do about it.
Crowded teeth are often caused by a narrow upper jaw, or palate, that doesn’t provide enough space for all the teeth to fit correctly. However, a question you might be asking yourself is, “Why would my child’s jaw develop too narrowly?” The answer is more likely than you think – tongue posture and mouth breathing.
The natural, healthy position for the tongue is to rest gently against the roof of the mouth. When the tongue stays in this position, it helps shape the dental arch (the area where the teeth grow) and allows enough space for all the teeth. But if your child’s tongue isn’t resting at the roof of the mouth, it’s known as low tongue posture. It’s not helping create that ideal, wide dental arch. Instead, the upper jaw can develop too narrowly, leading to crowded teeth.
Mouth breathing is one of the most common reasons that the tongue takes a lower position in the mouth. Children who breathe through their mouth keep their tongues low in the mouth and not on top of the palate.
Crowded teeth are just one piece of the puzzle. The problem with mouth breathing and bad tongue position is that both are factors that can contribute to SDB, or Sleep Disordered Breathing. That’s important because:
Sleep-disordered breathing may result in more signs and symptoms, such as snoring, teeth grinding, and disrupted sleep. The ideal situation for kids is to breathe silently using their nose while asleep, without any snoring or teeth-grinding sounds. These are not considered normal in children, especially if they happen regularly. This could eventually cause child’s development, energy, mood, focus, and learning.
Children with untreated sleep-disordered breathing may experience several health and developmental concerns. The following is what happens to a child without treatment for crowded teeth, mouth breathing, and low tongue posture:
Behavioral Issues and ADHD-like Symptoms
Low-quality sleep caused by restricted breathing could make it difficult for the kids to concentrate. It could also cause hyperactive behaviors and impulsive reactions that mimic ADHD symptoms.
Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis)
Disrupted sleep due to poor breathing habits may affect the nervous system’s ability to regulate the functioning of the bladder at nighttime, causing bedwetting in children.
Ear Infections and Ear Tubes
Primarily, children breathe through their mouths; this can result in pressure imbalances that cause the buildup of fluids in the ears, which may result in recurrent ear infections and even the need for ear tubes in some cases.
Night Terrors and Poor Sleep Quality
Children with sleep-disordered breathing wake up more often and do not sleep very well. They might suffer from nightmares and find it hard to fall asleep.
At this point, it’s worth stepping back and looking at these pieces as a single chain rather than separate problems, since each one feeds directly into the next.
Here’s a quick recap to help connect all of these factors:
Together, these factors form a cycle that can affect everything from a child’s sleep to their focus in school.
The good news is that there are ways to address these issues early and support healthy development:
Learn more about how proper tongue positioning and jaw development can affect sleep and concentration. Contact our pediatric dentistry experts now!
Crowded teeth, mouth breathing, snoring, and grinding of teeth are not just small problems. They are a sign of serious developmental problems that may affect the airways, sleep, and well-being of your child. Fixing a low tongue position, nasal breathing, and seeking help from health care professionals will allow your child to get proper development of their dentition, airways, and brain. Early actions can make a huge difference in life.
Low tongue posture is one where the tongue does not make contact with the hard palate to create an arch for the teeth. The failure to create an arch for the teeth can lead to complications like a narrow upper jaw and crowded teeth.
No, snoring and teeth grinding are not normal in children. They are often associated with sleep-disordered breathing, which can have an effect on sleep and development.
Mouth breathing encourages lower tongue posture, which causes a narrow palate and constricted airway. This will result in sleep-disordered breathing and associated problems.
Encourage nasal hygiene with gentle saline sprays or rinses, especially during allergy seasons. Also, remind your child to keep their lips closed while at rest, which encourages nasal breathing.
Myofunctional therapy uses exercises to train the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat to support proper tongue posture, nasal breathing, and swallowing patterns. It’s particularly effective for children with low tongue posture and mouth breathing habits.
What Is Periodontal Disease? Signs, Causes & Treatment
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