Konig Myofunctional Therapy and Mouth Breathing

Okay, so today we have Susan. And Susan is going to tell her story.

Im about 44 years old now and just recently found out for the last year, one of the most basic things in life I wasnt doing right. It was breathing. So, pretty much my whole life Ive been a mouth breather. I had my tonsils out when I was really young and I think thats what started the process. But even when I was younger I noticed that I had a white arc on the front of my teeth and that was something that my grandmother took me to the dentist about and, you know, I was probably 10, 12 years old and he says oh, we have came to the conclusion that you must be breathing through your mouth at night. And that was it. Nobody ever thought hey, we need to teach this child how to breathe correctly. So here I am now, 30 years down the road and finally Im learning how to do it right.

Thats good. Thats good. So, when we first started, it was about three months ago, right?

Thats right.

So, what did you have before?

So, you told me the term sneaky mouth breather and it is, because my lips werent, you know, it wasnt like my mouth was hanging open, but my lips were parted and you knew I was breathing through my mouth. And its true. I was. Thats what I did. It came natural to me. So, I was just living my life that way, that was the most comfortable way for me to breathe and I didnt know any better.

Right. And then how about your tongue?

So, my tongue also was, I found out, was in the incorrect position. It was down on the floor of my mouth and it pressed against my front teeth, both the upper and the lower front teeth, it pressed against there and that was its natural resting position.

For you, during that time. And how about when you swallow? What as your tongue doing?

So, my tongue also stayed low when I swallowed and I wasnt using it to really help push the food back the way the tongue is meant to do.

So how, three months later, wheres your tongue, how are your lips, how are you doing after three months?

After three months of practicing and keeping my lips sealed and the tongue on the roof of my mouth, if for some reason my lips part, it just triggers a little signal in my brain thats like uh, your lips just parted. Close them back up. So, you really get into the habit of feeling that that is the right way to breathe.

So, right. So, youre able to breathe through your nose most of the time?

Yes. Right.

Okay. How about your tongue? Where are you resting your tongue now?

So, the tip of my tongue now stays at the roof of my mouth, right behind, behind my front teeth. It does not touch them.

And then when you swallow, its the same thing?

Yes, so the tip of my tongue stays there. In that place, in the roof of my mouth and then it will push my food back with my tongue.

Okay. Well, Im glad to hear that and I'm glad to be able to work with you.

Thank you.

Thank you.