Did you know that the way you breathe affects your oral health?
The ideal way to breathe is in and out through the nose. This prominent facial feature has some incredible tools tucked up inside that perform vital tasks in protecting our mouth, teeth and gums, and the odour of our breath too.
The nose performs filtering, warming and humidifying of air that helps prevent serious conditions such as cavities and gum disease as well as discomfort from a dry mouth, excess bacteria that cause bad breath, and ongoing breathing issues from enlarged adenoids or changes to the shape of the palate.
Many people who breathe mainly through the mouth developed these habits in childhood. Blocked noses and other common childhood health conditions are big contributors, and if no one corrected your breathing in the ‘good’ times, the habit stuck.
The good news is that you can train yourself into better breathing.
There’s no need to go to extremes – like the pro tennis player who taped her mouth during training!
Try a simple technique such as Buteyko breathing, add some mindfulness minutes to your daily routine, or add a few sticky notes around your home and workplace as gentle reminders.
Come and talk to us if you would like specific, customised advice on how to build better breathing habits. We can also refer you to one of our preferred breathing consultants, for some in-person practical workshops.
Did you know that mouth breathing can have a negative effect on your gut health too? We work closely with nutritionist, Vanessa Vanderhoek from The Healthy Gut Nutritionist, who can advise our patients on simple dietary changes to improve your gut flora. Watch for our story on gut health in the next newsletter…