Is Your Child's Behavior Problem Actually a Breathing Problem?

Most people don’t realize just how critical nasal breathing is for kids. But when children can’t breathe properly through their nose, the impact goes far beyond stuffy noses or snoring—it can affect their behavior, development, sleep, and even how their face grows.

Dr. Michael DeLuke, an orthodontist who specializes in airway health, is sounding the alarm: airway obstruction in children often goes unnoticed and untreated. And that missed diagnosis can lead to problems that last a lifetime.

Here’s what’s happening. The nose isn’t just there to breathe through—it’s a powerful filter and support system. It cleans and humidifies the air, produces nitric oxide (which boosts oxygen absorption), and slows down airflow to help the lungs do their job better. When a child breathes through their mouth instead, they lose all those benefits.

That’s not just inconvenient—it’s damaging. Roughly 40% of kids deal with allergic rhinitis, and many of them develop swollen nasal passages (called turbinate hypertrophy), which makes nose breathing even harder. Other causes of obstruction include enlarged tonsils, adenoids, and chronic allergies.

When kids can’t breathe through their nose, they start mouth breathing—and that changes everything. Their jaw doesn’t grow properly. Their face gets longer, their dental arches get narrower, and their tongue loses space. This leads to crowded teeth, smaller airways, and even more difficulty breathing. It’s a downward spiral that affects not just looks, but health.

It also affects behavior. Many kids with sleep-disordered breathing get misdiagnosed with ADHD. They’re tired, irritable, and unfocused—not because of attention issues, but because they can’t sleep properly. Studies show that up to 50% of kids diagnosed with ADHD actually have an underlying sleep issue. Other red flags include bedwetting, morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, poor growth, and trouble with friends.

Dr. DeLuke calls for a major shift in how orthodontics is practiced. Instead of waiting for problems to show up—like crowded teeth or sleep issues—he believes we need to start screening early. As early as age 3 to 5, dentists and orthodontists can catch signs of airway obstruction and intervene before permanent damage is done.

Parents need to be proactive. Ask your provider if they screen for airway issues. Do they use 3D imaging? What’s their protocol if they find a problem? While major dental and medical organizations recommend screening for airway compromise, not all providers follow through—so it’s up to parents to ask the right questions.

For adults, untreated airway issues often show up later in life as sleep apnea, anxiety, depression, and other chronic conditions. Many of these people showed signs as children that were ignored or misunderstood.

If you notice your child snoring, breathing through their mouth, or struggling with behavior or sleep, don’t brush it off. Trust your instincts. Take a video. Bring it to your provider. Early action can prevent a lifetime of struggle.

Because when kids can breathe right, they grow right. And that changes everything.