How To Mouth Tape
What Is Mouth Taping?
Breathing is something we all do, everyday. But there is a correct way to breathe, and that is through the nose!! 👃🏽
Mouth taping is a home remedy that will help you to breathe through your nose. This is during the day and at night when you sleep. Mouth breathing itself is associated with numerous health conditions, including snoring, allergies, and poor oral health.
Why Should I Mouth Tape?
👄 Better sleep! — When breathing through your nose while sleeping your body is able to achieve a deep relaxation response, which is important to maintaining deep sleep throughout the night. This is because the nose helps us maintain homeostasis by balancing the autonomic nervous system, which regulates our stress, anxiety, rate of breathing and ensures we feel well rested.
👄 Less chance of grinding teeth — Many cases of grinding happen when your mouth has fallen open, blocking your airway.
👄 Less cavities + bad breath — A dry mouth feeds more bacteria which disrupts the balance of your oral microbiome and makes you more prone to tooth decay. So reducing your mouth breathing supports a healthier oral microbiome = healthier mouth!
👄 Increased nitric oxide — When you breathe through your nose, your body produces more nitric oxide. Nasal breathing increases nitric oxide production in the sinuses, which has been linked to reduced inflammation, improved sleep, improved memory, and an overall increase in immune system function.
How To Mouth Tape
Mouth taping is a great way to train yourself to breathe through your nose. The first method is to tape across the mouth with 3M medical grade tape. The second method is to tape around the mouth using Myo tape from @buteykoclinic or Kinesiology tape. If you are a chronic mouth breather and suffer from symptoms that are interfering with your well-being, consider mouth taping.
Mouth Taping Concerns
PRECAUTIONS — You should NOT tape at night if you:
- Have a vomiting related illness
- Feel nauseated
- Have been drinking alcohol
- Feel anxious about it
- Have uncontrolled epilepsy
- Are under 5 years old.
*If the tape continues to fall off after the first month, it’s a good idea to consult a medically trained professional such as an ENT.
Recommended Mouth Taping Products
1. Nexcare 3M Medical Grade Tape
This is a gentle option that you can use during the day or at night.
- FOR SENSITIVE SKIN – Proprietary silicone adhesive is softer than traditional surgical tape on skin and hair, and helps maintain skin integriy. Good for use on delicate areas, the elderly, infants, children and frequent dressing changes. Not made with natural rubber latex.
- PAIN-FREE REMOVAL – Removes gently from hair without leaving residue. Suitable for repeat taping and removal.
- STRONG HOLD – Sticks to skin for up to 48 hours and is repositionable without compromising adhesion. Remains adhered to skin when wet, including in the shower and exercising. Suitable for post-surgery medical tape and gauze application, and securing light weight tubing to skin.
- EASY TO USE – Tear cleanly by hand into any length needed. Tears easily in both directions.
- USED IN HOSPITALS – Known in hospitals as 3M Micropore S Surgical Tape (clinicians may also refer to this as blue tape or micropore tape)
2. Kinesiology Tape
Dr. Johal uses kinesiology tape and cuts it into pieces when using it for mouth taping. It is affordable, effective, and lasts for countless uses.
- EASY TO APPLY – Kinesiology tape measures 2 inches x 19.7 feet long ( 5 cm x 6 m ). It is uncut roll so you can CUT the size and shape which SUITS EVERYONE’S PERSONAL NEEDS.
- FDA CERTIFIED AND 100% SATISFACTION – FDA certified kinesiology sports tape
- 90 Days Money Back Guarantee & 1 year warranty
Recommended Support Products for Sleeping
1. Breathe Right Extra Nasal Strip
In addition to mouth taping, Breathe Right nasal strips are great for helping you breathe better while you are sleeping.
2. Mute Nasal Dilator
Nasal dilators are designed to mechanically open users’ nasal passages. By increasing the diameter of the nostril, the dilators can lessen ailments such as cold/allergy congestion, deviated septums, and simple snoring.
Products To Avoid
Anti-Snoring Chin Straps
You may have seen these products marketed or talked about as a way to “stop snoring”. While these may seem like a good idea, most are surprised to hear that it does nothing to actually help. According to studies, “A chinstrap alone is not an effective treatment for OSA. It does not improve sleep disordered breathing, even in mild OSA, nor does it improve the AHI in REM sleep or supine sleep. It is also ineffective in improving snoring.”
Specialty Designed Mouth Tape
These products are actually not “bad” for you or ineffective. The reason we suggest avoiding these products is due to their price. If you are practicing mouth taping each day, these products will prove to be expensive. In reality, using 3M tape or kinesiology tape is equally effective.
Recommended Reading
If you are interested in learning more about the science of breath and how it affects your optimal health, see below.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor is A New York Times Bestseller, A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2020, and named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR.
This is an excellent book that Dr. Johal recommends to patients and colleagues alike on a regular basis. The author, James Nestor, travels the world while researching for the book to try different techniques on himself. He has a gift of sharing what he learns with us in an easy to read and engaging way.
The key takeaway from this book is that there are many qualities to breathing that are vital to our health.
For example, he discusses many modern health issues such as asthma, anxiety, ADHD, which can be reduced or even reversed simply by changing the way we inhale and exhale. Nestor explains the evolutionary changes in our facial structure over the past several hundred years and how they contribute to our breathing and health problems. He talks about the adverse affects of mouth breathing (which 80% of us do) and how, in an experiment, his health rebounded when he trained himself to only breath through his nose.
In this book you will also find a lot of breathing exercises that you can implement right away. He explains how to do them and why they are effective. If you’re stressed, if you snore, if you have sleep apnea, if you have other respiratory issues, or if you know someone who suffers from these ailments, then this book might may be helpful in offering new insights to your health situation. It’s both informative, easy and fun to read. Simply put, it offers easy ways for you to feel better and healthier through your breath.
Family Dental Centre Home Page: www.familydentalguelph.com
