The Benefits of Lip Taping
Mouth breathing during sleep is a common oral health problem for adults and children. Although it can be a minor issue if done occasionally for only seconds, it can also have severe health and developmental effects if done for a long duration. Dr. Johnson personally lip tapes and may recommend lip taping at night for various health and dental health conditions that he treats or advises on.
Since the root causes of mouth breathing can vary, each patient requires an individualized plan to fit their needs. Please talk with our staff if you or one of your dependents frequently breathe through the mouth at night or day and you feel it may be causing problems.
The Problem With Mouth Breathing
There are circumstances where breathing through the mouth is a healthy choice. For example, while Sprint Running or during strenuous activity, you can't take in enough oxygen by breathing through the nose. Mouth breathing is okay and warranted in this situation. However, exercising while nasal breathing is preferred and will make the exercise more effective and productive.
Also, if you suffer from a cold and your nose is stuffed up, you may find yourself mouth breathing simply because you have no other choice. Aside from unusual circumstances, your wellness benefits most from nasal breathing. Your nose acts as a filter keeping dust and debris out of your lungs and also helps regulate the tempo of your breathing.
In your nose, you make Nitric Oxide. Nasal breathing is how your body receives nitric oxide, which widens your blood vessels and helps oxygen circulate throughout your body. Nitric oxide also KILLS viruses (cold viruses, Flue Viruses, Corona Viruses) and Bacteria that enter our body through our nose. When we mouth breathe we do not receive this beneficial nitric oxide protection. THIS IS KEY POINT ONE
Let's try this together. Take a deep breath thru your nose and slowly release the air. How do you feel? Probably relaxed!
Mouth breathing outside of intense exercise or seasonal allergies and colds may indicate obstructive sleep apnea and put your heart and other organs at risk. In addition, mouth breathers children and adults may suffer from misalignments in their teeth, improper facial bone and jaw development, speech issues, and more. THIS IS KEY POINT TWO
Mouth breathing may also adversely impact oral health by contributing to dry mouth, crooked or shifting teeth, and tooth decay. THIS IS KEY POINT THREE.
Mouth Breathing or NOT USING YOUR NOSE allows your nose to congest or get “stuffy.” A congested or stuffy nose contributes to allergies, asthma, enlarged tonsils, sore throats, ear aches, cold, flues, etc. Using your nose keeps your nose clear. Use it or Lose it. THIS IS KEY POINT FOUR.
After Lip Taping for several months, Dr. Johnson noticed that his runny nose, allergies, and asthma (which he developed as an adult in his forties) had all disappeared.
Why Try Lip Taping
A Russian doctor named Konstantin Buteyko developed lip taping treatment in 1952. He found that taping the mouth shut during the night helped to correct instances of mouth breathing. This method, intended only for short-term use, can be used to treat mouth breathing for patients of any age.
Dr. Buteyko passed away in 2003 and believed breathing was the root of health and wellness. He explained in remarks at a conference in New Zealand in 2000: "It has transpired that the truth is on the side of the eastern medicine which has always stated that diseases occur as a result of diseased breathing. The essence of my technique is, however, in decreasing the depth of breathing."
Taping the lips closed while sleeping trains your body to breathe through your nose while sleeping, helping you break the mouth breathing habit. Sometimes a patient needs to see a Myofunctional therapist, also known as an Oral Facial Myologist, for treatment to stop mouth breathing, and Dr. Johnson’s office can help.
This treatment might involve breathing exercises, lip taping at night, and addressing any underlying conditions contributing to mouth breathing. Sometimes people unfamiliar with therapeutic lip taping are concerned that it may be painful or uncomfortable. When done correctly, it is quite the opposite. Some even credit the treatment as life-changing since people who mouth breathe at night are not getting enough high-quality sleep.
The process is simple to perform as long as you follow Dr. Johnson's directions.
How to Perform Lip Taping
Be sure to consult with our staff to teach you the correct technique. Here is a basic overview of what to expect when lip taping:
First, ensure you can breathe through your nose easily for 30 min. A great way to test tolerance for this technique before bedtime is to hold water in your mouth for as long as possible or tape your lips while working or playing. Do a trial run during the day or early evening to get used to it before taping your lips overnight. If you have any concerns or fears - Open your mouth, breaking the seal of the tape - This will assure your brain that you can breathe if necessary. This will immediately stop the fear factor of not being able to breathe.
Using the right kind of tape is essential. The tape should be gentle to avoid irritating the sensitive skin on and around your lips. Dr. Johnson’s favorite tape is the 3M Nexcare Blue Surgical tape for sensitive skin. Another option is Sleep tape, or surgical tape is easy on your skin. Try Myotape or 3M micropore tape. Using a moisturizer before applying lip tape may cause it not to stick well. Moisturizer may need to be applied hours before bedtime.
Tape placement:
Option 1. Take a piece of tape and place it horizontally over your lips.
Option 2. Place two pieces of tape vertically from beside the nose toward the chin. Dr. Johnson’s preferred method is two vertical pieces of tape, and he has done both.
Gently remove the tape in the morning.
The kind of tape you use is essential, and you should avoid any tape not designed to be used on the skin, like duct tape, gorilla tape, or scotch tape. The key here is using a tape that won't irritate your skin.
Taping is a valuable training tool. Many patients wake up feeling well-rested for the first time in years after they get used to lip taping. Many patients have told Dr. Johnson that lip taping was the best advice any health care professional had given them, with life-changing quality of sleep and improved energy. Several of Dr. Johnson’s young patients slept through the night for the first time the first night the lip tape was tried. Unfortunately, some dismiss lip taping as a fad without understanding the damage mouth breathing can do to a person's oral and overall health.
Dr. Johnson’s recommendation for tape.
Dr. Johnson demonstrating the correct way to apply.