The internet is divided again (surprise, surprise). This time, it is not over something big but something minor: a small, clear piece of medical tape.
There is a debate about whether taping your mouth shut while you sleep is good or bad. The discussion gets even muddier when professionals from all walks of life argue whether mouth taping is a good idea, whether it has any health benefits, and whether dental professionals have any right to recommend it to their patients. While one must ultimately decide for oneself what side of the debate they are on, my hope after reading this article is that the reader will think about mouth taping differently.
Recently, mainly due to the internet, mouth taping has become a popular trend, where social media influencers showed how they were breathing only through their noses.
Tracee S. Dahm, MS, RDH.
Mouth taping is placing a medical piece of tape over one's lips at night to seal them closed while one sleeps. It allows anyone who cannot fully sleep while keeping their mouth closed or snoring to sleep more deeply.
Mouth taping became popular due to many of us waking up in the morning still not feeling fully rested. There is plenty of evidence that points out that people who are striving to reach the recommended eight hours of sleep a night still wake up tired, blaming it on everything from kids, their partner, stress, bad dietary choices, and illness when it might be nothing more than their ability to draw oxygen correctly once they lie down.
Sometimes, mouth taping happens during the day. Some athletes tape their lips shut while they work out. Mouth taping changes how athletes breathe during cardio, ultimately improving performance, as nasal breathing allows more nitric oxide to enter the lungs, opening the blood vessels.
In dentistry, mouth taping has been brought up … and it causes concern. Some argue that breathing through the mouth promotes xerostomia, inflammation, irritation, and caries. Others say that while, yes, those are oral concerns when a person is breathing through their mouth, there is not enough medical evidence to support mouth taping as a health benefit, and it is not in any dental professional's scope of practice to diagnose breathing techniques.
Some have discussed how encouraging people to tape their mouth at night could cause serious health problems because they are accustomed to breathing in a certain way and they may not get enough oxygen when they are forced to breathe a different way.
Starved oxygen can have detrimental effects. A person should be evaluated by a medical professional about how much oxygen they can receive through their nasal passages before slapping a piece of tape on their lips and going to bed unsupervised. There is insufficient medical evidence to prove that mouth taping is the best solution for patients who cannot sleep with their mouths closed.
Unfortunately, dental professionals often recognize the effects of mouth breathing, sometimes long before a patient does. Patients in the dental chair frequently have erythematous tissue tone -- even when they claim to have superior oral hygiene habits -- if they are more of a mouth breather.
Halitosis and increased dental caries can also result from less efficient oxygenation. Dental workers often try to help patients who complain of irritation in the morning from dry mouth by identifying that the patient has possibly been breathing through their mouth more than their nose while sleeping.
While no one wants anyone to suffocate, are dental professionals supposed to sit back and do nothing when their patient relays several oral complaints that they believe are from breathing primarily through their mouth?
Instead of feeling forced to decide whether dental patients should use mouth tape for themselves, why not state the medical evidence we know and agree on and then help the patients internally motivate themselves to make their own decisions?
Medical professionals of various disciplines agree that breathing through our nasal passages is better than our mouths because the hairs in our nasal passages filter out pathogens and microorganisms that can cause illnesses. In addition, breathing through one's nose automatically humidifies the air, receives pheromones, and releases nitric oxygen. Finally, medical experts can confirm that xerostomia exacerbates various oral problems. Hence, patients who cannot breathe through their nose are more likely to be sick, have poor oral health, and feel unrested.
Dental professionals can identify and suggest to their patients that they do more mouth than nasal breathing based on the signs and symptoms they see during a patient's checkup exam. Dental professionals can also use screening tools to ask patients whether they feel rested upon waking, whether they identify any specific sleeping patterns, whether they snore, and if they wake up with xerostomia.
The idea behind the screening is for the patient to realize they might be mouth breathers and might be causing more harm than good if they continue breathing more through their mouth than their nose. Even asking patients to take a deep breath through their nose while sitting in the dental chair may be an awakening moment for them to recognize they might not be getting the best quality air.
Believe it or not, sometimes, a patient has yet to acknowledge that they are a mouth breather! Encouraging a dental patient to seek a medical consultation about nasal breathing is an essential first step.
One must decide on their own whether to join the mouth-taping trend. There is enough evidence to note that there is a debate, but how dental professionals help their patients is ultimately up to them.
Instead of having to decide about mouth taping, look at it from the nasal breathing perspective. Ask the patient if mouth breathing is a concern they have and motivate them to act if needed.
If patients want to breathe more through their nose, refer them to their physician for further testing. Provide peer-reviewed literature that discusses nasal breathing benefits. Let patients know that they are on the journey to improved health.
Editor's note: References available upon request.
Tracee S. Dahm, MS, RDH, is an adjunct clinical instructor for the North Idaho College School of Dental Hygiene in Coeur d’Alene, ID. She also works in private practice. Dahm has published articles in several dental journals, magazines, and a textbook. Her research interests include trends in dental hygiene and improving access to dental care for the underserved. She can be reached at [email protected].
The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.
