Summary
Dhru Purohit breaks down the science behind mouth taping and why breathing through your nose at night can dramatically improve sleep quality. He explains the central role of nitric oxide -- produced primarily in the nasal sinuses -- in cardiovascular health, brain function, immune defense, and even sexual health, drawing on the Nobel Prize-winning research of Dr. Lou Ignaro and insights from James Nestor's bestselling book Breath. The episode covers how mouth breathing dries out the oral microbiome, leading to cavities, gum disease, and bad breath, citing functional dentist Dr. Mark Burhenne's view that mouth breathing is the number one cause of cavities. Dhru shares his personal experience with mouth taping eliminating teeth grinding and improving his wife's sleep quality, then walks listeners through a practical step-by-step guide including tape recommendations (medical silicone tape or SomniFix) and answers common questions about using mouth tape with CPAP machines, for kids, and during pregnancy.
Key Points
- Nasal breathing produces roughly 25% of the body's nitric oxide, a molecule critical for blood vessel dilation, oxygen delivery, and immune defense
- Low nitric oxide is linked to erectile dysfunction, cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and sleep disorders
- Mouth breathing dries out the oral microbiome, making it more acidic and promoting cavities, gum disease, and bad breath
- Functional dentist Dr. Mark Burhenne considers mouth breathing the number one cause of cavities, even ahead of poor diet
- Insulin resistance is a leading driver of nitric oxide deficiency, connecting metabolic health to vascular and sleep health
- Mouth taping uses a small piece of medical-grade tape (postage-stamp size) placed over the center of the lips to encourage nasal breathing during sleep
- Mouth tape can be used alongside a CPAP machine and is generally safe for older children and pregnant women
- People with deviated septums, severe congestion, or nasal blockages should address those issues before trying mouth taping
Key Moments
Nasal breathing produces 25% of body's nitric oxide
An estimated 25% of the body's nitric oxide is produced from breathing through the nose. Nitric oxide is critical for vascular health, and low levels are linked to erectile dysfunction, cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and sleep disorders.
"So let's jump in. Why is it so bad to breathe through your mouth on a consistent basis? Our nose was primarily designed for breathing and smelling, and our mouth was primarily designed for eating, tasting, and talking. When we use these body parts outside of their intended use, An estimated 25% of our body's nitric oxide is produced from breathing through our nose. This has been taken from a paper published in Wiley Online called Decreased Pulmonary Vascular Resistance During Nasal Breathing. Now, let's do a little background on nitric oxide, a little sidebar, because understanding the importance of nitric oxide and its central role that it plays in our body."
Mouth breathing is the number one cause of cavities
Functional dentist Dr. Mark Burhenne considers mouth breathing to be the number one cause of cavities, even ahead of poor diet. Mouth breathing dries out the mouth, disrupts the oral microbiome, makes the mouth more acidic, and lets bad bacteria take over, leading to cavities and gum disease.
"My friend Dr. Mark Brahanna considers mouth breathing to be the number one cause of cavities, even coming before a poor diet and bad diet."
How to start mouth taping with just a small piece of tape
Dhru Purohit walks through the practical how-to of mouth taping, recommending a quarter-inch piece of inexpensive Medvanced Silicone Tape placed over just the center of the lips to lightly keep them together overnight.
"Right before bed, you're cutting a tiny piece of tape, maybe a quarter of an inch. Now you're placing the mouth tape over the center of your lips, just the center. You're not trying to cover your entire mouth."
Personal experience with mouth taping reducing teeth grinding
Dhru shares that he used to grind his teeth at night, which is one way the body compensates for disordered sleep breathing. After starting mouth taping, he noticed massive improvement in sleep quality and far less jaw tension, and even got his wife on board.
"I'll talk about that more in a future episode. After I started mouth taping, I noticed a massive improvement in my sleep. True story. And way less tension in my jaws. Mouth taping works so well that I even got my wife on board. She has a pretty prominent tongue tie. We haven't gotten the little operation that you can get rid of the tongue tie, but that's definitely on our list in the future. She's a little afraid of doing it right now. So we put her on mouth tape, which I'll talk about in a second."
