More than a balanced diet, regular exercise, and good hygiene, bringing up happy and healthy children is an important ingredient too. Healthy breathing is often overlooked, but it is an essential component of a child’s health. On the other hand, the importance of good dentistry and healthy breathing in children from an early age is the key to a beautiful smile and optimum health for all their lives.
Breathing Easy: The Foundation of Wellness in Children
Healthy breathing in a child is important for normal growth and development. Similar to adults, children require enough oxygen to feed the body for proper growth. It is vital for physical and mental growth. Proper breathing supplies adequate oxygen to cells for energy production and overall vitality.
One important thing to note is that it's not about in and out breathing, but the quality of breath. Deep and diaphragmatic breathing helps you exchange oxygen efficiently, while shallow breathing might limit oxygen intake and affect the well-being of a child. It is important to begin early habits of mind, teaching children to watch their breath.
The Role of Dentistry in Child Wellness
Proper dentistry is also important for a child's well-being. It isn’t just about a shiny smile; dentistry makes an actual difference in a child's health. Unless treated on time, dental problems may gradually lead to many other issues. Like improper alignment of teeth, speech difficulties, and even airway problems.
Right from a child's very first teeth, regular dental checkups should be set up in the routine. Such visits would not only provide help to prevent cavities but, additionally, dentists can monitor the development of a child's teeth and jaws. Correct alignment of teeth and jaws is not only important for aesthetics but also for maintaining patent airways.Â
Open Airway: How Regular Dental Check-ups Can Help
One important thing that usually gets missed in a child is how dental health affects their airways. Now, when people sleep, the muscles relax, and so does the throat. Sometimes, if the dental and jaw structure is not aligned properly in the child, that relaxed muscle can obstruct the airway as it falls back. It causes them to snore and even lead to sleep apnea. People often use mouth tapes to tackle snoring. For more details read ‘Mouth Tape for Snorers: Does It Actually Work’.
Regular dental checkups are of crucial importance in handling such concerns. Dentists can detect the first signs of misalignment and take preventive measures to deal with the same. At a tender age, dentists can help guide the growth and development of the jaw to provide enough room for easy air passage.
Mouth Tape and ChildrenÂ
Recently, the idea of using mouth tape to facilitate nasal breathing has been one of the increasingly popular concepts. It is right that nasal breathing has several advantages, mostly related to sleep. However, you need to understand that all this might be inappropriate for everyone, much less for children. For more details related to mouth taping in adults read ‘Know About The Facts About Mouth Taping for Sleep’.
Parents should proceed with caution before allowing mouth tape on their children. It is not recommended to use mouth tape on children under the age of 6 at all. Children over age six should never use mouth tape unless instructed by a licensed physician or dentist.Â
Children's oral and facial structures are growing. Introducing mouth tape without proper guidance may interfere with this natural growth process. You should seek advice from a dentist or health professional before any intervention is offered. What may work for adults clearly might not work with children.
