Mouth Taping? Should you do it?

Tapeher "Full" closure Mouth Tape

For some, this isn’t a new concept and you probably have already tried it. But for those that haven't, why on earth would you tape your mouth shut? And should you actually do it?

The whole idea of taping our mouths shut (mainly at night while we sleep) is to encourage nasal breathing. We should be breathing in through our noses and NOT our mouths. Mouths are secondary sources to get oxygen into our bodies (like emergencies when we have nasal congestion, extreme exertion, or have compromised systems that require additional ways of getting O2 into our bodies).

Who SHOULD NOT tape their mouths shut at night?

Half my job as a chiro/myofunctional therapist is to figure out why someone is mouth breathing and not nasal breathing. There could be a few reasons why someone is mainly breathing through their mouths and we do try and figure that out on assessment day, but sometimes it requires referrals to other health practitioners. I would NOT suggest mouth taping for:

1. Those Who Do Not Have a Patent Nasal Airway. 

There are nasal tests we do to ensure someone can actually breathe through their nose. If someone cannot, or has difficulty breathing through their nose, DO NOT use mouth tape. It is not safe for you to be closing off the only way your body gets oxygen into your body at night. Refer out to an ENT or medical doctor for further analysis. A moderate/severely deviated septum is an example where air has difficulty coming in through the nose. So no matter how hard you try, nasal breathing will be compromised. For mild to moderate cases, non-medicated nose strips (like these) tend to work really well! 

2. The Pediatric Population 

This can just be scary for kids especially if they’re used to breathing in through their mouths. Those that have gone through myofunctional therapy and have started to strengthen their facial, airway and tongue muscles are more of a candidate but I usually recommend face taping for them depending what muscles need a bit of help for lip closure without actually taping shut.

3. Complicated Cases and Underlying/Diagnosed Health Conditions

People who have complicated medical histories such as heart conditions, lung transplants, sleep apnea etc may require guidance from their medical doctor. If for whatever reason mouth breathing becomes their only source of oxygen, the repercussions of mouth taping could cause more harm than good. These people should work on their nasal breathing during the day without the use of tape at night. Options would be using face tape to encourage nasal breathing and not forced mouth closure.

This brings me to my next point… 

We should NOT be using mouth tape for the .. rest… of… our… lives. I know mouth tape companies don’t want to hear this but it should be a temporary use. This is what I tell my Chiro patients when I use K-Tape for various injuries, posture regulation etc, or if I suggest any type of brace (ankle, knee etc). Even foot orthotics (in my opinion) are just a bandaid to help an acute condition. If we don’t address the underlying issue, it will never get fixed. Sure you can use braces for the rest of your life - in certain situations it can be encouraged, but you will likely revert back to old habits or experience pain when you don’t use them. This is the case for mouth tape and nasal strips too. If you don’t use it, you could likely feel your symptoms again if you don’t use them. 

How to safely use mouth tape

Did I scare you into using mouth tape? I promise it's not that scary, but it's not something you should just dive right into without checking in with yourself first.

Now, how would I recommend starting? 

Gradually and slowly. 

Bouche Mini Mouth Tape

Most companies offer a “mini” version which is a smaller piece of tape that secures a small portion of the lips together. Start here. When I first used it, I ripped it off in my sleep. Just keep at it. This still allows you to breathe through your mouth if absolutely necessary but keeps it shut for most of the time. 

Then as your airway muscles get stronger through myofunctional therapy, we gradually work through taping more of the mouth. I’m not sure how I feel yet on FULLY taping mouths shut but I know some do it and feel great. I personally don’t do this but I have tape in the office that does tape the whole mouth. 

What to look for in mouth tape: 

1. Hypoallergenic - use of tape with unnecessary chemicals causes bad skin reactions and we don’t want that first thing in the morning. 

2. Stretchy tape - personally I don’t like medical tape or tape you use to wrap your presents with. It doesn’t stretch in case you do need to open your mouth. It also doesn’t allow for lip movement in general even if it’s still closed. Mouth tape on the market these days uses fabric tape similar to K-Tape or Rocktape. 

3. A reputable company - Ideally don’t buy them off Temu/Amazon with random company names. You have no idea where it came from. 

For a comparison of the mouth tapes and nasal strips that I use in my own clinic (and on myself), read here (includes discount code if you want to try some for yourself). For my Myofunctional Therapy patients, I offer them either Tapeher or Bouche tape as part of their treatment plan if I feel like they would benefit from it.

Summary

I’m all for mouth taping and the use of nasal strips.  It helps correct musculoskeletal imbalances in the face, throat and neck which could help lead to better restfulness in the morning, less jaw pain, less dry mouth, etc. The more we start nasal breathing, the more that airway continues to open up. If you think your “congestion” is chronic, or that it’s “just allergies” but haven’t tried to consistently nasal breathe, my advice is to just start trying… today. I promise it will get better.