Mouth taping: The latest social media trend
A new oral health trend has hit the algorithms of Tik Tok and other social media platforms: mouth taping. Experts, including Tricia Quartey, D.M.D., a dentist and spokesperson for the ADA, detailed the potential risks of this habit in a news report in Today.
Mouth taping involves taping over the mouth during sleep to encourage nose breathing rather than mouth breathing. The new trend uses mouth tape with a hole to allow some airflow. Social media users have claimed that the practice could enhance sleep, eliminate snoring, prevent xerostomia and improve dental health.
The long-term habit of mouth breathing is known to cause xerostomia, halitosis, and other dental issues as a result of decreased saliva production, explained Dr. Quartey. She noted that individuals typically breathe through their mouths while sleeping because of nasal obstructions or anatomical issues such as a deviated septum or enlarged tonsils.
The experts cited in the article emphasized that there is a lack of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of mouth taping. Among the few studies examining the benefits or risks of the trend, investigators determined that mouth taping led to variations in outcomes and that more studies with higher-quality data are needed to understand whether mouth taping can improve or harm the quality of sleep and overall health. The experts stressed that the findings from the studies showed no oral health effects. In addition, the risks of mouth taping include shallow breathing, insufficient blood oxygen and suffocation, particularly among those with nasal obstructions.
The experts recommended that individuals who breathe through their mouths during sleep or experience sleep issues visit an otolaryngologist or participate in a sleep study to help them determine the underlying cause as well as receive a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Read more: Today
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