CONSEQUÊNCIAS DENTO-FACIAIS DA RESPIRAÇÃO ORAL:REVISÃO DA LITERATURA.

Abstract

ABSTRACT ntroduction: Mouth breathing is a pathological condition that manifests in evident signs and symptoms through various physical and morphological changes, such as the position of the head, jaw, and tongue. If left untreated, this condition can result in numerous negative factorsthat adversely affect the growth and development of facial structures over an extended period. Objective: The objective of this study is to conduct a literature review to assess the potential dentofacial consequences of mouth breathing. Methodology: This article presents an integrative literature review conducted through a bibliographic search in the PubMed, Scielo, and Google Scholar databases, without any year of publication limitation. Relevant descriptors were carefully selected in Portuguese, including "respiração oral", "respiração pela boca", "má oclusão" and "respiração nasal", and their corresponding English equivalents, such as "oral breathing", "mouth breathing" and "malocclusion". Articles that were not published in these databases, written in another language or not related to the proposed theme were excluded from this study. Results: This review comprises sixteen articles, including six literature reviews, two cross-sectional studies, one retrospective study, one experimentalstudy, two observational studies, and four quantitative studies, all of which are relevant to the proposed topic. Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of orofacial alterations associated with mouth breathing, early and multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment involving physicians, orthodontists, and speech therapists with an integrated approach to breathing and its impact on oral motor development is crucial. Further, comprehensive research is necessary to accuratelydetermine the oral and facial consequences resulting from mouth breathing.