Our bodies are like a group chat. One person acts up, and suddenly, everyone’s involved. Every system inside the body functions in a very specific way. So, when even one small thing is off, there’s a BIG ripple effect.
We’re meant to breathe through our nose—especially at night. This is one of those things that doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but definitely is. Breathing through your mouth can actually create a ton of problems.
Mouth breathing actually adds extra stress on the body. It can cause poor oxygen efficiency, dry mouth, oral health issues, bad sleep, worsened allergies, respiratory irritation, and headaches. It can even change the shape of your face over time—and not in a free face-lift kind of way.
But mouth taping can make a huge difference. It improves your sleep in almost every way, supporting your health and beauty goals. (Here’s more nose vs. mouth breathing.)
Since mouth taping can fix so many other sleeping problems, can it also help you stop grinding your teeth? That’s exactly what we’re going to dig into today.
Does Mouth Tape Help With Teeth Grinding? What Science Says
Teeth grinding isn’t just annoying; it’s actually really bad for you. It can damage your teeth, jaw, and face over time—and it’s a side effect of a deeper issue.
In terms of oral health, it flattens tooth enamel, triggers sensitivity, and even causes chips, cracks, and fractures in your teeth. Don’t you just cringe thinking about it?
Grinding teeth can also overwork the jaw muscles and joints, causing pain and stiffness. It may even start to sound like Rice Krispies with a characteristic snap, crackle, and pop. (We know, more cringe.)
Beyond that, teeth grinding can cause headaches and facial pain. Plus, it’s just a sign of bad sleep and other problems, so it’s something you definitely want corrected.
In this post, we’ll talk about how mouth taping could help reduce teeth grinding. Before we get into that, though, let’s talk about what mouth taping is—and why it’s such an important part of so many people’s nighttime routines.
Here are the details:
What Is Mouth Taping?
Mouth taping is a sleep practice where you use a specialized piece of tape to gently close your lips and encourage nasal breathing. The goal isn’t to force your mouth shut. It’s to support your body’s natural breathing process.
Mouth taping helps train your body to breathe through your nose the way it’s supposed to. And when you breathe through your nose, the air coming in is filtered, warmed, and humidified before it reaches the lungs.
Why does this matter? Because improved air quality means better sleep, less snoring, improved dental health, and more efficient breathing patterns. All of that is great for your long-term wellness.
Now, we know, we know… You’re thinking it’d be dangerous to tape your mouth shut all night. But, actually, a high-quality adhesive like The Skinny Confidential Mouth Tape is hypoallergenic and completely breathable, making it safe and effective.
Even if it seems a little wild to tape your mouth shut before bed, just try it. Your best night’s sleep will speak for itself.
Here’s more on how mouth taping works if you really want to see the science behind the practice!
Does Mouth Taping Help With Teeth Grinding?
Mouth taping can help stop teeth grinding, depending on the cause. Teeth grinding is surprisingly complex. Stress, jaw alignment, airway issues, and sleep quality can all be triggers.
Nasal breathing can actually help with a lot of that, which can improve those teeth-grinding tendencies. Just another reason to make Mouth Tape your final evening skincare step! If you want a little extra information, make sure to read our post, “What Does Mouth Tape Do?”
That said, talk to an orthodontist about your teeth grinding to discuss direct solutions like a night guard, correcting dental issues, or even jaw surgery.
Note: Don’t mouth tape without consulting a doctor if you have chronic nasal congestion, obstructive sleep apnea, panic disorders, frequent vomiting, or sleep-disordered breathing. It’s also best to avoid it if you're pregnant or have a cold/flu.
What Are the Benefits of Mouth Taping for Teeth Grinding?
Encourages Nasal Breathing
When we breathe through our mouths, our breaths stay shallow. This prevents us from sleeping soundly, leading to those frequent middle-of-the-night-wake-ups.
These micro-wakings are when jaw clenching and grinding usually happen. By promoting nasal breathing, you could actually get deeper sleep with fewer wakings. That means less teeth grinding, too!
Improves Sleep Quality
As we’ve discussed, nose breathing during sleep helps you get better rest. That improved sleep quality will bring more oxygen into your lungs.
When your body doesn't have good oxygen flow or stable breathing patterns, it signals stress to the brain. The result? Tense muscles and teeth grinding.
Reduces Nighttime Stress
Speaking of stress, mouth taping works to reduce nighttime stress in more ways than one. Nasal breathing improves oxygen and carbon dioxide balance, making sure your tissues get what they need. When the balance is off due to mouth breathing, the brain starts receiving stress signals.
The nasal passages also release nitric oxide, which is a molecule that improves blood flow, oxygen uptake, and airway function. It actually helps ease inflammation and promote relaxation.
Nasal breathing also naturally activates your body’s “rest and digest” system. When your nervous system is calm, your heart rate and blood pressure can settle, muscle tension eases, and stress-driven habits like teeth grinding may not even happen in the first place.
Prevents Dry Mouth
Since mouth taping prevents mouth breathing, it keeps your lips closed and your saliva where it belongs. And saliva matters—it protects your teeth and gums. When it dries up, bacteria have a field day, which can lead to bad breath, gum disease, and other oral health issues.
A dry mouth is also just uncomfortable. That discomfort can lead to more nighttime wakings, trigger stress, and make jaw clenching and teeth grinding part of the nightly routine.
How to Apply Mouth Tape for Teeth Grinding
Step One: Do your evening skincare routine.
Do your evening skincare routine as usual. And once you finish your final step, make sure the skin around your mouth has fully absorbed the product. Just to make sure, we recommend patting your skin dry using a TSC Face Towel.
Step Two: Get your tape ready.
Next, remove one piece of tape from your tin or container. Carefully peel off the back where the adhesive is and try your best not to touch it.
Step Three: Press the tape over your closed lips.
Close your mouth in a comfortable, natural position. Then press the Mouth Tape over your lips and smooth it all out to create a gentle, secure seal.
Step Four: Go to sleep.
Now, head to bed. Sleep normally (hopefully with a silk pillowcase and bedside humidifier) and allow your body to breathe naturally through the nose. Make sure to also check out these mouth tape tips to maximize your results! Every small step matters.
Step Five: Take it off first thing in the morning.
In the morning, pull your skin taut and peel the tape off slowly. Then throw it away, of course. Never try to reuse a strip of Mouth Tape.
Step Six: Subscribe and save for monthly mouth tape shipments.
Once you’re totally sold on the improved sleep quality and teeth grinding relief, subscribe and save on The Skinny Confidential Shop for TSC Mouth Tape.
You can grab it in three colors, and each one comes in a handy tin for sanitary storage. With a subscription, you can ensure you always have a new strip of Mouth Tape when you need it!
If you’re grinding your teeth because of stress, TSC Mouth Tape can help.
Teeth grinding is rarely just about your teeth—it’s a sign that something in your sleep or breathing patterns needs support.
Mouth taping isn’t a cure-all. But it can help manage symptoms of poor sleep by encouraging nasal breathing, deeper rest, and a calmer nervous system. Sometimes the smallest habits can make the biggest difference.
