Chronic Oral Breathing as a Risk Factor for the Development of Actinic Cheilitis

Chronic oral breathing is characterized by respiratory and anatomic alterations found in children who breathe through their mouth only. Through open-mouth breathing, these patients develop anatomic deformities such as a typical adenoid facies. Such anatomic alterations make the lower lip of these patients more prone to UV action and its related actinic damage. This paper discusses an 11-year-old boy with chronic oral breathing who showed serious actinic damage to his lower lip. The authors argue that chronic oral breathing could be a risk factor for the development of actinic cheilitis.