5 Important Reasons You Should Stop Mouth Breathing Today

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

I have seen my clients’ lives change when they stop mouth breathing. I am shocked to learn that none of my clients’ doctors have ever asked them if they breathe through their mouth or their nose. Does that mean it isn’t important? NO. Does it mean that the doctors don’t know the consequences of mouth breathing? I can’t imagine that being the case, but it may be.

Most of my clients are mouth breathers who snore. I have treated hundreds over the last 12 years and realize that I can call myself an expert on snoring.

Definition of an expert: A professional who has acquired knowledge and skills through study and practice over the years, in a particular field or subject, to the extent that his or her opinion may be helpful in fact-finding, problem-solving, or understanding a situation.

Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life

You may have noticed that this phrase is reflected frequently in the content of this website. It sums up what I teach people to do every day. In the mid 1800’s, George Catlin was discovered as a true artist who enjoyed painting American Indians. In the process, he began to discover important differences between his culture and theirs.

There were a lot of deaths of American infants but very few, if any, of American Indians. Americans always displayed a variety of dental abnormalities that required special attention but the American Indians had beautiful straight teeth. These two major differences led Mr. Catlin to visit over 150 different Tribes to discover what made them different. As a result, he wrote the book “Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life”.

It was discovered that the most important thing that a mother could and did do for her infant was to be sure to keep their lips closed. By gently tapping upwards on the chin, the lips would close. Babies were swaddled at night to prevent their fingers from going into their mouths. Constant attention was given to achieve this outcome: the mouth should be open only for eating, drinking and talking.

1) No Other Animal in Nature Sleeps with His Mouth Open

There is no animal in nature, except man, that sleeps with its mouth open. It is unnatural to breathe through your mouth, especially at night.

2) Mouth Breathing at Night Affects the Structure of Your Face

It is believed that mouth breathing at night affects the whole facial structure: the features change, the unhinged under jaw falls, the cheeks are hollowed, and the cheekbones and the upper jaw advance, and the brow and upper eyelids are unnaturally lifted.

3) Sleeping with Your Mouth Closed Helps Teeth Develop Properly

Sleeping with the mouth closed actually contributes to the optimal development of the teeth. While the teeth are forming and making their first appearance, they meet (and constantly feel) each other, taking relative, natural positions, resulting in beautiful mouths.

4) Mouth Breathing Depletes Necessary Nitric Oxide

Nitric oxide is a critical component of that mysterious refining process. Breathing through the nose not only moisturizes, humidifiers, and filters the air but it slows it down. This allows the proper mixing of the air with an amazing gas produced in the nasal sinuses called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is secreted into the nasal passages and is inhaled through the nose. It is a potent vasodilator, and in the lungs, it enhances the uptake of oxygen. Nitric oxide is critical to all organs. Mouth breathing depletes the nitric oxide.

5) Mouth Breathing Leads to Snoring at Night

Few people can be convinced that they snore in their sleep, for the snoring is stopped when they wake, and so with mouth breathing, which is generally the cause of snoring.

George Catlin made a great discovery. His book was published in 1891 and it is in the public domain, meaning that there is no copyright on the book. They have continued to print this book because it is believed that the information provided is “culturally important”. Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life. It’s simple. I can teach you how to do it.

If you are concerned about a family member who breathes through their mouth, contact us, or click to learn more about our revolutionary snoring program.

Written by: Janet M. Bennett

Janet Bennett, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, is a Speech Pathologist in private practice in Asheville, NC, since 1977. She specializes in treating tongue thrust, a swallowing disorder that can result in buckteeth, an open bite, a lisp, snoring, and other problems that have not yet been made known to most people.