Do You Breathe Through Your Mouth?

Waking up with a dry mouth? Feeling tired, congested, or blocked at night? Our Ottawa-based program helps adults restore healthy nasal breathing — naturally.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Can help

If you've been breathing through your mouth for years and notice changes in your facial shape, you're not alone. Mouth breathing in adults can cause jaw tension, elongation of the face, tired-looking eyes, and poor posture. The good news? Many of these changes can be improved or reversed—with therapy that trains your muscles, posture, and breathing mechanics.

Mouth breather face diagram showing elongated face, open lips, low tongue posture

Common Signs of Mouth Breathing in Adults:

Tired no matter how much sleep you get
Brain fog and sluggish thinking
Memory troubles or trouble focusing
Frequent headaches or migraines
Jaw tension or clenching
Neck or upper back pain
Higher blood pressure or chest breathing
Waking up with dry mouth or nasal congestion
Yearly dental cavities or gum issues
Can’t breathe well through your nose — especially at night
Always breathing through your mouth, even at rest

You’re Not Alone — And There’s a Natural Way to Rebalance
No devices, no drugs, no surgery.
This is gentle, guided muscle and breathing retraining for lifelong change.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy uses simple, proven exercises to help you restore nasal breathing as your body’s natural default. With consistency, this approach can support:

Clearer thinking and memory
Better sleep and energy
Lower stress hormones and blood pressure
Improved facial symmetry and posture
Fewer headaches and jaw issues
Strengthened immune and oral health

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Start your path to natural nose breathing, improved sleep, and daytime clarity.

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Disclaimer: The images above are simulated examples illustrating the potential effects of long-term mouth breathing compared to nasal breathing.

These are not real individuals but are intended to highlight how breathing habits may influence facial growth and overall health.

Nose Breather

Better Brain Function²

Better Memory & Information Retention²

Mental Focus²

Helps Relax. Reducing stress by lowering the harmful effects of cortisol in the body³

More Attractive Features⁴

Prevents Long Face Syndrome⁴

Well Defined Cheekbones⁴

Nicely Developed Jawline⁴

Straighter Teeth⁴

Better Formed Upper Airways⁴

Brighter Alert Eyes⁴

Improved Posture⁵

Enhanced Core Muscle Stability⁶

Healthier

Adequate Saliva & Fresher Breath. Less Cavities & Gum Disease⁷

Lowers Heart Rate⁸

Lowers Blood Pressure⁸

Growth Hormone Release to Build, Maintain, & Repair Tissues⁹

Can Help Prevent Snoring & Apnea Episodes⁷

Feel Better Rested⁷

Essential Nitric Oxide Intake (Only Created in the Nose)¹⁰

Immune Defense: Combats Harmful Bacteria, Viruses, & Parasitic Organisms¹¹

Regulates Blood Pressure: is a Vasodilator¹¹

Enhances the Lung's Capacity to Absorb Oxygen¹¹

Maintaining Homeostasis in the Body: pH, Temperature, Ion, & Glucose Concentration¹²

Neurotransmission¹²

Mouth Breather

Brain Fog¹⁴

Decreased Productivity¹³

Poorer Academics: Performing Poorly at Work¹⁴

Poorer Quality of Life¹⁵

Increased Stress⁸

Less Attractive Features

Causes Long Face Syndrome¹⁶

Poorly Defined Cheekbones¹⁶

Narrow Jaw & Face¹⁶

Jaw Set Back¹⁶

Crooked/Crowded Teeth¹⁶

Gummy Smile¹⁶

Tired Eyes: Dark Circles & Unfocused¹⁶

Underdeveloped Nasal Airway¹⁶

Postural Problems: Forward Head Posture¹⁷

Muscle Fatigue¹⁷

Neck Pain¹⁷

Jaw Tension¹⁷

Spinal Disc Compression¹⁷

Early Arthritis¹⁷

Tension Headaches¹⁷

Dental Occlusal Problems¹⁷

Decreasing Health

Causes Cavities & Gum Disease⁷

Minimal to No Nitric Oxide Intake Can Cause¹⁰

High Blood Pressure¹⁰

Heart Disease¹⁰

Heart Attack¹⁰

Stroke¹⁰

Digestive Track Issues¹⁰

Alzheimer's Disease¹⁰

Dementia¹⁰

Erectile Dysfunction¹⁰

Bladder Issues¹⁰

Sleep Disordered Breathing¹⁸

Tired¹³

Snoring¹⁸

Apnea¹⁸

Reduced Growth Hormone Production¹⁹

Sleep Apnea: Breathing Stops While Asleep for a Varying Length of Time²⁰

Depression²¹

Dry Mouth, Sore Throat, Headaches, Trouble Paying Attention, & Irritability²⁰

Memory Loss: Sleep Helps to Consolidate Memories²⁰

Mental Confusion²⁰

Weakened Immune System: Reduced Number of T-Cells²⁰

High Blood Pressure: Drops in Blood Oxygen Levels Strains the Cardiovascular System²⁰

Abnormal Cholesterol: May have Higher LDL²²

Fatigue²⁰

High Blood Sugar Levels²³

Deprives Body of Needed Oxygen Levels²⁰

Linked to Fatty Liver Disease²⁴

Acid Reflux²⁰

Asthma²⁵

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What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?

The mouth, head, and neck are a complex weave of muscles, tissues, joints, bones, blood vessels, and nerves that all need to work together for a smooth, discomfort-free daily function.

We are born and grow with little direction and training on how to use this area of our bodies. We eat the way we eat, we chew on the side that is most comfortable, we swallow whichever way gets the food down, our tongues rest wherever they rest, we breathe the easier way, and we have repetitive habits that soothe our stress that can involve our faces and mouths.

All of these reflexive habits can create abnormalities in our oral and facial structures, and since we have been doing them throughout youthful growth, our bones and muscles have molded around these untrained habits, potentially creating ingrained disorders in our current and later years.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapists specialize and only focus on the muscles and tissues throughout the tongue, jaw, face, head, and neck. Weekly exercises are given that either tone or relax these muscles and tissues aligning them to your center. Working from your foundation up, we progressively reset years of habits. Most individuals will complete the program within the year and yet your new symmetry could last your lifetime.

A Stanford University Systematic Review Revealed The Lasting Beneficial Effects Of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy In A Wide Cohort:

“Current literature demonstrates that orofacial myofunctional therapy decreases apnea-hypopnea index by approximately 50% in adults and 62% in children. Improvements to snoring and daytime sleepiness. Shown effective in children and adults of all ages studied thus far; youngest patient 3 yrs old to 60 yrs old. Therapy has an important role in preventing relapse.”48

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Sources

¹Breathe Institute Image

²Jefferson Y. Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics and behaviour. General dentist. 2010 Jan- Feb; 58 (1): 18-25.

²Surtel A, Klepacz R, Wysokińska-Miszczuk J. Wpływ toru oddechowego na jamę ustną. The influence of breathing mode on the oral cavity. Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2015 Dec;39(234):405-7. Polish. PMID: 26802697.

³Steffen, Patrick R et al. “The Impact of Resonance Frequency Breathing on Measures of Heart Rate Variability, Blood Pressure, and Mood.” Frontiers in public health vol. 5 222. 25 Aug. 2017, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00222

⁴Jefferson Y. Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics and behaviour. General dentist. 2010 Jan- Feb; 58 (1): 18-25.

⁴Pereira F, Motonaga S, Faria P, Matsumoto M, Trawitzki L, Lima S, Lima W. Myofunctional and Cephalometric Evaluation of Mouth Breathers. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. 2001. 67 (1): 43-49.

⁴Surtel A, Klepacz R, Wysokińska-Miszczuk J. Wpływ toru oddechowego na jamę ustną. The influence of breathing mode on the oral cavity. Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2015 Dec;39(234):405-7. Polish. PMID: 26802697.

⁵Paskay L. OMD Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders: Assessment, prevention and treatment. JAOS. 2012 march-april; 34-40.

⁵Okuro RT, Morcillo AM, Ribeiro MÂ, Sakano E, Conti PB, Ribeiro JD. Mouth breathing and forward head posture: effects on respiratory biomechanics and exercise capacity in children. J Bras Pneumol.2011 Jul-Aug; 37(4):471-9.

⁵Damaging Effects of Forward Head Posture.(2015, January 22). Retrieved from http://www.denvertechchiro.com/files/fhp_revised.pdf

⁶Tomonori Iwasaki, Issei Saitoh, Yoshihiko Takemoto. Tongue posture improvement and pharyngeal airway enlargement as secondary effects of rapid maxillary expansion: A cone-beam computed tomography study. AJO-DO Volume 143, Issue 2, P235-245, Feb 01 2013.

⁶Key, Josephine. “‘The core’: understanding it, and retraining its dysfunction.” Journal of bodywork and movement therapies 17, no. 4 (2013): 541-559.

⁷Surtel A, Klepacz R, Wysokińska-Miszczuk J. Wpływ toru oddechowego na jamę ustną. The influence of breathing mode on the oral cavity. Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2015 Dec;39(234):405-7. Polish. PMID: 26802697.

⁸Steffen, Patrick R et al. “The Impact of Resonance Frequency Breathing on Measures of Heart Rate Variability, Blood Pressure, and Mood.” Frontiers in public health vol. 5 222. 25 Aug. 2017, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00222

⁹Davidson, J R et al. “Growth hormone and cortisol secretion in relation to sleep and wakefulness.” Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN vol. 16,2 (1991): 96-102.

⁹Takahashi, Y et al. “Growth hormone secretion during sleep.” The Journal of clinical investigation vol. 47,9 (1968): 2079-90. doi:10.1172/JCI105893

⁹Honda, Y et al. “Growth hormone secretion during nocturnal sleep in normal subjects.” The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism vol. 29,1 (1969): 20-9. doi:10.1210/jcem-29-1-20

¹⁰Djupesland PG, Chatkin JM, Qian W, Haight JS. Nitric oxide in the nasal airway: a new dimension in otorhinolaryngology. Am J Otolaryngol.2001 Jan; 22(1): 19-32.

¹¹Lundberg J, Weitzberg E. Nasal nitric oxide in man. Thorax.1999;(54):947-952

¹²Chang H R. Nitric Oxide, the Mighty Molecule: Its Benefits for Your Health and Well-Being. 1st ed. United States. ; 2011

¹³Lunn M, Craig T. Rhinitis and sleep. Sleep Med Rev. 2011 Oct;15(5):293-9

¹³Muliol J, Maurer M, Bousquet J. Sleep and allergic rhinitis. Journal Investigation Allergol Clinical Immunology. 2008;18(6):415-9.

¹³Ohki M, Usui N, Kanazawa H, Hara I, Kawano K. Relationship between oral breathing and nasal obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1996;523:228-30.

¹³Jefferson Y. Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics and behaviour. General dentist. 2010 Jan- Feb; 58 (1): 18-25.

¹³Surtel A, Klepacz R, Wysokińska-Miszczuk J. Wpływ toru oddechowego na jamę ustną. The influence of breathing mode on the oral cavity. Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2015 Dec;39(234):405-7. Polish. PMID: 26802697.

¹⁴Jefferson Y. Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics and behaviour. General dentist. 2010 Jan- Feb; 58 (1): 18-25.

¹⁵Lunn M, Craig T. Rhinitis and sleep. Sleep Med Rev. 2011 Oct;15(5):293-9

¹⁵Muliol J, Maurer M, Bousquet J. Sleep and allergic rhinitis. Journal Investigation Allergol Clinical Immunology. 2008;18(6):415-9.

¹⁵Ohki M, Usui N, Kanazawa H, Hara I, Kawano K. Relationship between oral breathing and nasal obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1996;523:228-30.

¹⁶Jefferson Y. Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics and behaviour. General dentist. 2010 Jan- Feb; 58 (1): 18-25.

¹⁶Pereira F, Motonaga S, Faria P, Matsumoto M, Trawitzki L, Lima S, Lima W. Myofunctional and Cephalometric Evaluation of Mouth Breathers. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. 2001. 67 (1): 43-49.

¹⁶Paskay L. OMD Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders: Assessment, prevention and treatment. JAOS. 2012 march-april; 34-40.

¹⁶Surtel A, Klepacz R, Wysokińska-Miszczuk J. Wpływ toru oddechowego na jamę ustną. The influence of breathing mode on the oral cavity. Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2015 Dec;39(234):405-7. Polish. PMID: 26802697.

¹⁶Okuro RT, Morcillo AM, Ribeiro MÂ, Sakano E, Conti PB, Ribeiro JD. Mouth breathing and forward head posture: effects on respiratory biomechanics and exercise capacity in children. J Bras Pneumol.2011 Jul-Aug; 37(4):471-9.

¹⁷Okuro RT, Morcillo AM, Ribeiro MÂ, Sakano E, Conti PB, Ribeiro JD. Mouth breathing and forward head posture: effects on respiratory biomechanics and exercise capacity in children. J Bras Pneumol.2011 Jul-Aug; 37(4):471-9.

¹⁷Damaging Effects of Forward Head Posture.(2015, January 22). Retrieved from http://www.denvertechchiro.com/files/fhp_revised.pdf

¹⁸Lunn M, Craig T. Rhinitis and sleep. Sleep Med Rev. 2011 Oct;15(5):293-9

¹⁸Muliol J, Maurer M, Bousquet J. Sleep and allergic rhinitis. Journal Investigation Allergol Clinical Immunology. 2008;18(6):415-9.

¹⁸Ohki M, Usui N, Kanazawa H, Hara I, Kawano K. Relationship between oral breathing and nasal obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl. 1996;523:228-30.

¹⁸Jefferson Y. Mouth breathing: adverse effects on facial growth, health, academics and behaviour. General dentist. 2010 Jan- Feb; 58 (1): 18-25.

¹⁸Surtel A, Klepacz R, Wysokińska-Miszczuk J. Wpływ toru oddechowego na jamę ustną. The influence of breathing mode on the oral cavity. Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2015 Dec;39(234):405-7. Polish. PMID: 26802697.

¹⁸Fitzpatrick MF, McLean H, Urton AM, Tan A, O’Donnell D, Driver HS. Effect of nasal or oral breathing route on upper airway resistance during sleep. Eur Respir J. 2003 Nov;22(5):827-32.

¹⁸“ADHD and Sleep.” ADHD & Sleep Problems-National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation, 2017. Web. 11 Feb.2017. https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-problems/adhd-and-sleep.

¹⁸Shur-Fen Gau S. Prevalence of sleep problems and their association with inattention/hyperactivity among children aged 6-15 in Taiwan.J Sleep Res. 2006 Dec;15(4):403-14.

¹⁸Borres MP. Allergic rhinitis: more than just a stuffy nose. Acta Paediatrica. 2009 Jul;98(7):1088-92)

¹⁹Davidson, J R et al. “Growth hormone and cortisol secretion in relation to sleep and wakefulness.” Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN vol. 16,2 (1991): 96-102.

¹⁹Takahashi, Y et al. “Growth hormone secretion during sleep.” The Journal of clinical investigation vol. 47,9 (1968): 2079-90. doi:10.1172/JCI105893

¹⁹Honda, Y et al. “Growth hormone secretion during nocturnal sleep in normal subjects.” The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism vol. 29,1 (1969): 20-9. doi:10.1210/jcem-29-1-20

²⁰Fitzpatrick MF, McLean H, Urton AM, Tan A, O’Donnell D, Driver HS. Effect of nasal or oral breathing route on upper airway resistance during sleep. Eur Respir J. 2003 Nov;22(5):827-32.

²¹Ejaz, Shakir M et al. “Obstructive sleep apnea and depression: a review.” Innovations in clinical neuroscience vol. 8,8 (2011): 17-25.

²²Gunduz C, et al "Obstructive sleep apnea independently predicts lipid levels: Data from the European Sleep Apnea Database" Respirology 2018; DOI: 10.1111/resp.13372.

²³Jimmy Doumit, Bharati Prasad. "Sleep Apnea in Type 2 Diabetes" Diabetes Spectrum 2016 Feb; 29(1): 14-19.

²⁴Omar A. Mesarwi, Rohit Loomba, Aul Malhotra. "Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Hypoxia, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease" ATS Journals 2018 Nov; V199, I7.

²⁵Bharati Prasad, Sharmilee M. Nyenhuis, Ikuyo Imayama. "Asthma and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Overlap: What has the evidence taught us?" ATS Journals 2019 Dec;V201, I11.

²⁶Camacho, Macario et al. “Myofunctional Therapy to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” Sleep vol. 38,5 669-75. 1 May. 2015, doi:10.5665/sleep.4652

Myofunctional Therapy Blog

Learn how therapy supports sleep, breathing, jaw comfort, and long-term health

Why Teeth Shift After Braces — and How Myofunctional Therapy Can Help in Ottawa

By Alicia ProperJul 10, 2025

Do You Breathe Through Your Mouth?

Waking up with a dry mouth? Feeling tired, congested, or blocked at night? Our Ottawa-based program helps adults restore healthy nasal breathing — naturally.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Can help

Common Signs of Mouth Breathing in Adults: