"The nose is made for breathing and the mouth is made for eating." Kids laugh when I remind them of this, but unfortunately, so many people—old and young—walk around with an open mouth and use it for breathing.
What happens to be the one thing all my gum disease patients and tooth decay patients do? They breathe through their mouths. And that’s not the only way mouth breathing impacts health.
Read my blog post, The Nose Knows, to learn more about the effects of mouth breathing and how to help your patients who do it
Remember that the nose has an important job to do: get air into the body. Oxygen trumps everything else—so if the nose isn't being used for breathing as it should, the results can be disastrous.
Learn more from my blog:
To avoid chronic disease, mind those microbes
Chocolate prevents cavities. Wait. What?
Dental decay and conquering cavities: What your patients probably don't know
Barbara Tritz, MSB, BSDATE, RDH, is a biological dental hygienist and orofacial myofunctional therapist whose blog, Queen of Dental Hygiene, provides patients the information they need to help them on their healing journey. “Our one-hour appointment time was just not long enough to share all the many important facts I wanted our patients to learn. Dental hygiene is about so much more than just teaching brushing and flossing," says Barbara. “We are healers, educators, and lifesavers, and we need to give our patients the tools and skills to empower them to true wellness and health.”
