Something To Sink Your Teeth Into…er your lips!

There have been several claims over the past few years that the positioning of the tongue at rest predicts some degree of risk for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The tip or front of the tongue is supposed to rest against the roof of the mouth, elevated about a half inch to an inch above the back of the front teeth, on or just above the little ridges you can feel there. When the tongue rests in the bottom of the mouth (flat position), that is, the tip is closer to the back of the lower teeth, it is said that risk increases for SDB. If you try the two positions right now, you’ll notice it’s easier to breathe through your nose when the tongue is in the elevated position. Several small research studies over the years have suggested that if you can strengthen the muscles in the oral airway including the lips, it will promote improvement of the tongue position and may reduce SDB severity. Now, there is an actual device that lets you strengthen your lip muscles and claims by doing so to reduce SDB severity. The question that goes unanswered on their website is how to buy one if you in the USA.

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Dr. Barry Krakow
Dr. Barry KrakowSee Dr. Krakow's videos at sleeptreatment.com with the latest news and personal testimonials about his book.
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