Teachers knowledge of the effects of mouth breathing before and after an orientation program

Guimarães, Kamilla Almeida; Picinato-Pirola, Melissa

Kamilla Almeida Guimarães

Faculdade de Ceilândia, Universidade de Brasília – UnB – Ceilândia (DF), Brasil.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1432-667X

Melissa Picinato-Pirola

Faculdade de Ceilândia, Universidade de Brasília – UnB – Ceilândia (DF), Brasil.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5045-931X

Conflict of interests:

No.

Authors’ contribution:

KAG participated in the collection, organization, analysis and interpretation of data and additionally wrote and revised the text; MPP participated in study planning, organization, analysis and interpretation of data, writing and revision of the text and final approval of the version to be published.

Corresponding author:
Melissa Picinato-Pirola. E-mail: melissapicinato@unb.br

Q1. Do you know someone who breathes through his or her mouth?

() yes () no () don’t know

Q2. Do you think that people who breathe through their mouth may experience tiredness during the day?

() yes () no () don’t know

Q3. Do you think that breathing through the mouth can lead to dietary problems?

() yes () no () don’t know

Q4.Do you think that breathing through the mouth could lead to speech impairment?

() yes () no () don’t know

Q5. Do you think that the development of facial features i.e. bones muscles may be related to breathing?

() yes () no () don’t know

Q6. Do you think that sufferers of mouth breathing may also suffer from dental alterations?

() yes () no () don’t know

Q7. Do you think that children who suffer from mouth breathing may have problems at school?

() yes () no () don’t know

Q8. If you lived with someone who breathes mostly through their mouth what would you do to help them?

Q9. If someone breathes most of the time through the mouth should you refer the person to a health professional? Which health professional?

Q10. Do you have a student who breathes through the mouth all the time?

() yes () no () don’t know

Q11. If so, what draws your attention to the physical and postural characteristics of that student (s)?

Q12. If so, what draws your attention to the behavioral characteristics of that student (s)?

Q13. If so, what draws your attention to the school performance of this or those students?

Stages	Description
Breathing physiology	The question “how do we breathe?” opened the lecture. According to the teachers' answers, the researcher was able to talk about “ideal breathing” and the importance of nasal breathing. It is important for teachers to understand that breathing through the nose promotes the preparation of air, leaving it clean, warm and moist., in addition nasal breathing favors adequate tone of orofacial muscles and craniofacial growth, which are essential for the functions of the stomatognathic system. Thus, teachers were able to understand aspects of the physiology of breathing and the importance of nasal breathing.
Causes of nasal obstructions	The main causes of nasal obstructions are adenoid hypertrophy, tonsil hypertrophy, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis amongst others. These changes were mentioned and the researcher highlighted the individual characteristics of each one.
The consequences of mouth breathing	The possible consequences of mouth breathing were pointed out, amongst them, orofacial, craniofacial and dental myofunctional changes, eating difficulties (preferences for soft food consistencies), speech impairment, poor sleep quality and school difficulties. The visual presentation featured images of real patients in order to illustrate the aspects discussed.
Professionals involved in the treatment of mouth breathing	The performance of professionals frequently involved in the treatment of mouth breathing, such as otorhinolaryngologists, speech therapists and orthodontists, were discussed at this stage.
Importance of early treatment	This part of the program favored teachers' understanding of the importance of early treatment, so that the consequences can be minimized.
The importance of nasal hygiene and environmental hygiene	This phase reported the relevance of nasal hygiene and environmental hygiene. The use of saline was mentioned and the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the house, avoiding objects that accumulate dust, such as stuffed animals, carpets and curtains. The researcher explained that nasal hygiene should be performed with a saline mixture and a syringe, daily, and stressed the importance of keeping environments clean, such as the home and school.
Question time	At the end of the program, teachers had the opportunity to make comments or ask questions regarding different aspects of mouth breathing, which were not discussed during the program. The program did not have a minimum or maximum duration, the teachers were free to make comments and resolve any queries.

		Pre-program		Post-program		P-value
		f	%	f	%	P-value
Q1. Do you know someone who breathes through his or her mouth?	Yes	66	44.0	81	54.0	0.006*
	no/ don’t know	83	56.0	68	45.3	0.006*
Q2. Do you think that people who breathe through their mouth may experience tiredness during the day?	Yes	128	85.3	143	96.7	0.000*
	no/ don’t know	20	13.3	5	3.4	0.000*
Q3. Do you think that breathing through the mouth can lead to dietary problems?	Yes	107	71.3	145	96.7	0.000^* * Significance level p<0.05
	no/ don’t know	43	28.7	5	3.3	0.000^* * Significance level p<0.05
Q4. .Do you think that breathing through the mouth could lead to speech impairment?	Yes	102	68.0	147	98.0	0.000*
	no/ don’t know	48	32	3	2	0.000*
Q5. Do you think that the development of facial features i.e. bones muscles may be related to breathing?	Yes	101	67.3	145	98.0	0.000*
	no/ don’t know	47	31.3	3	2.0	0.000*
Q6. Do you think that sufferers of mouth breathing may also suffer from dental alterations?	Yes	100	67.3	143	97.3	0.000*
	no/ don’t know	45	30.6	2	2.6	0.000*
Q7. Do you think that children who suffer from mouth breathing may have problems at school?	Yes	94	62.7	148	98.7	0.000*
	no/ don’t know	56	37.3	2	1.3	0.000*
Q10. Do you have a student who breathes through the mouth all the time?	Yes	20	13.3	27	18.0	0.039*
	no/ don’t know	127	85.3	120	81.3	0.039*

	Variables	n	Average	DP	Value-p
Total	Pre		4.22	1.59	^* * Significance level p <0.05 <0.01
Total	Post	150	5.85	0.64	^* * Significance level p <0.05 <0.01

Public School	Pre	104	4.33	1.59	*<0.01
Public School	Post	104	5.90	0.54	*<0.01

Private School	Pre	46	3.95	1.57	*<0.01
	Post		5.73	0.82

[1] Conflict of interests:

No.

Brasil

Brasil

Teachers knowledge of the effects of mouth breathing before and after an orientation program

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion