The supporting dental structures

Another common irritant to the gingiva is dryness during mouth breathing. All the oral tissues are normally moistened with saliva. Whenever the patient is un­ able to breathe properly through the nose, breathing through the mouth causes the gingiva to become inflamed, edematous and hemorrhagic. One meth­ od of approach would be to eliminate the cause of mouth breathing by having the patient consult an otolaryngologist. To treat the condition palliatively by dental means, it would be necessary for the patient to apply an emollient, such as cocoa butter or petroleum jelly, over the dried gingiva prior to retiring and as many times a day as necessary. This pro­ M O U T H B R E A T H IN G A S A N IR R IT A N T tective layer prevents the drying of the gingiva.