At 83, Dr. Fred Winters is still seeing patients. He practices at the Black Hawk clinic, which serves the Sac and Fox Nation in Stroud, Oklahoma. He also volunteers at Ministries of Jesus, a church-supported clinic in Edmond that cares for people who fall between Medicaid and private insurance.

He does the work, in his words, "from my heart, to help people a little bit." He's also a lifelong mouth breather who retrained how he breathes, and mouth tape is something he recommends to nearly every patient who shows the signs.

Five Decades in Practice, Then a Turn Toward Sleep

Dr. Winters graduated from dental school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1968. He returned to his hometown of Okeene, Oklahoma, and practiced general dentistry there for 52 years.

His interest in sleep started at home, where his wife kept waking him for snoring and labored breathing. A sleep test showed upper airway resistance syndrome. It wasn't severe enough for insurance to cover treatment, even as he gained weight and his blood pressure rose. He wore an oral appliance for 10 to 12 years, then trained at two practices limited to sleep appliances.

In 2020, he sold his Okeene practice and opened a sleep appliance practice in the Oklahoma City area called Sleep and Snore Solutions.

"I started taping, and it felt so much better," he says. "If I don't do anything but tape, I'm way better. My wife doesn't hear me snore."

Mouth Tape as One Layer of a Sleep Plan

In 2024, Dr. Winters had open-heart surgery with five bypasses. A follow-up sleep test showed he was still struggling, and his physicians recommended CPAP, which he now uses most nights. On nights without it, he tapes, either alone or with his oral appliance, and his wife reports no snoring. He finds the appliance and tape work best together.

In a 2022 study of 20 mouth breathers with mild obstructive sleep apnea, taping cut the apnea-hypopnea index and snoring index by about half [1]. Screening still comes first: mouth tape suits patients who can breathe comfortably through the nose, and suspected sleep apnea needs evaluation.

How He Introduces Mouth Taping to Patients

Dr. Winters asks about sleep and snoring in nearly every exam. He recommends mouth tape to any patient who shows signs of mouth breathing or poor sleep, which turns out to be a high percentage.

"There's some significant improvement that can occur just from taping your mouth so that you breathe through your nose," he says.

When patients insist their nose doesn't work, he walks them through a short breath hold from the Buteyko method that often clears it, to their surprise. He also has them start during the day. "Put it on for 30 minutes while you're watching television," he advises. Practicing while awake helps patients get past the initial claustrophobic feeling. Having tried other brands, he notes that Simply Breathe holds well even with facial hair.

He's more cautious with patients who have significant anxiety about their mouths, and with very young children when a parent doesn't expect follow-through. Otherwise, he sees few reasons not to try it. "The real true nitric oxide comes from your nose," he says. "That's the best kind there is."

Seeing It Everywhere

After closing his sleep practice, Dr. Winters spent three and a half years at a Medicaid dental clinic in Oklahoma City, where tongue thrust and mouth breathing were common. Airway-focused training convinced him the problem often starts in childhood, as reduced oral function shapes how the jaws and midface develop.

Into the Gym

In his mid to late 70s, Dr. Winters brought nasal breathing to his Orangetheory Fitness classes. He noticed most participants training with their mouths open, lent a coach his copy of The Oxygen Advantage by breathing educator Patrick McKeown, and soon heard that coach cueing members to breathe in through the nose. Then he started taping during workouts, which drew plenty of questions.

"I know by breathing through my nose, my body's going to respond better," he says. "And it did."

Advice for Dentists

His first piece of advice is personal. "First of all, they've got to try it themselves and see some results," he says. A few nights of tape, ideally with a spouse or family member who snores, makes the recommendation real.

Next, look for the signs. He sees bruxism as one possible clue that a patient is working to keep the airway open. And make trying it easy: he hands out samples with an information sheet so patients can test the product before committing.

Above all, he frames it as prevention. "There's no better time in history to be healthier than right now," he says. Illness is expensive, care is harder to access, and staying well keeps people productive. Still working at 83, he's living that argument.

Bring Nasal Breathing Into Your Practice

Simply Breathe Lip Seal Strips were designed by a dental professional using medical-grade, hypoallergenic materials. Dental sample packs include an information sheet for patients and are priced for practices to hand out. Learn more about our program for Dental Professionals.

References

1. Lee YC, Lu CT, Cheng WN, Li HY. The Impact of Mouth-Taping in Mouth-Breathers with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Preliminary Study. Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(9):1755. PMID: 36141367. PubMed

Frequently Asked Questions

Should dentists recommend mouth tape?

For patients who breathe comfortably through the nose and have been screened for sleep apnea, mouth tape is a simple way to support nasal breathing at night. Dr. Winters recommends it to most patients who show signs of mouth breathing or poor sleep.

What if a patient feels claustrophobic wearing mouth tape?

Start during the day. Wearing tape for 30 minutes while watching TV or reading helps patients adjust before using it overnight.

How should a patient start using mouth tape?

Dr. Winters has patients wear it for 30 minutes during the day, such as while watching TV, before using it overnight. Practicing while awake helps them get past the initial claustrophobic feeling.

Can mouth tape be used with an oral appliance?

Dr. Winters wears mouth tape with his oral appliance on nights he doesn't use CPAP, and he finds the two work best together.

Who should be cautious about using mouth tape?

Dr. Winters is more cautious with patients who have significant anxiety about their mouths, and with very young children when a parent doesn't expect follow-through. Patients who can't breathe comfortably through the nose, or who may have sleep apnea, should be evaluated first.