Bucco-maxillo and systemic repercussions of the mouth breathing syndrome: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Introduction: Mouth breathing syndrome is characterized by full or partial breathing through the mouth. Its most frequent causes are allergic rhinitis and enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids. These conditions interfere with the passage of air through the nose and upper airways, causing the child to breathe through the mouth. The treatment of the syndrome is done in a multidisciplinary way and counts on the participation of the dental surgeon, who will monitor and take care of any damage to oral health. Objective: It was to present, through a comprehensive review, the main considerations of mouth breathing syndrome in childhood and youth and the role of orthodontics in the management of this problem. Methods: The research and development of the work were carried out from January to March 2023 in the Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scielo databases, using scientific articles from 2009 to 2022, following the PRISMA rules. Results and Conclusion: It was found 94 studies performed eligibility analysis. The final sample had 28 eligible studies and only 13 studies were described in the comprehensive review. The major cause of mouth breathing syndrome is nasal obstruction, but nasal and facial deformities, allergic rhinitis, septum deviation, tonsils, and nasal conchae, and adenoid hypertrophy also frequently occur. Mouth breathing syndrome negatively affects the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, sleep, hematopoietic system, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, and Dental-Skull-Facial development. Thus, the dental surgeon needs to acquire in-depth knowledge about the subject, so that he can develop educational-preventive programs in the place where he works, to promote health and quality of life.