Are You a Mouth or Nose breather?

I suffer from allergy congestion most of the time so have spent my entire life breathing through my mouth, even when sleeping.  At 33yrs of age I have zero cavities.  Could waking up each day with a bone dry mouth be the reason for my pristine chops? 

It makes sense to me that the bacteria causing cavities can not flourish in such a dry environment.  I do not drink fluoridated water (only distilled water for 8 years now), I brush twice a day and do not usually floss.  Also, my wife states I never have bad breath.  Maybe I am just a freak of nature or could mouth breathing be a feasible method of cavity reduction?  I would like to hear from other Mouth breathers to see if they have similar luck with their chops.  And do mouth breathers really suffer dangerous health issues?  I have never suffered any ill effects from mouth breathing that I am aware of.  Let's face it, in todays polluted world can a nose filter actually make a dent anyways?

Wikipedia Reference
A healthy individual normally breathes through the nose while resting or doing light exercise, and breathes simultaneously through both the nose and mouth during vigorous aerobic exercise, in order to supply sufficient oxygen. Excessive mouth breathing is problematic because air is not filtered and warmed as much when inhaled through the nose, as it bypasses the nasal canal and paranasal sinuses, and dries out the mouth. Mouth breathing is often associated with congestion, obstruction, or other abnormalities of the upper respiratory tract.

Some claim mouth breathing is socially unacceptable and you could face ridicule.  I suppose this is true for the most extreme slack jawed cases but my mouth barely appears to be open while breathing.  In any case I look forward to the comments on this.

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Comments

[Monica]

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