Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 How does the face become slimming?
The muscles used for making facial expressions are known as mimetic muscles. These muscles are found only on the face and neck but yet they are rather difficult to be trained. The skin on the surface of the unused muscles will lose to the force of gravity and sag down once the strength of muscles weaken and looks like a "chubby face". Majority of the facial muscles are made up of orbicular muscles of the mouth which form the lips. A strengthened mimetic muscle will overcome the force of gravity and gives tension to the skin thus make the face look smaller.

Q2 How does the bad breath disappear?
The force to close the mouth will be strengthened through lip muscle training. As a result, one will not sleep with the mouth opened and change to breathe through the nose. Different from mouth-breathing, inflammation of the mucous membrane will not occur in the case of nose-breathing when the inspired air is warmed by the moisture and passed through the upper respiratory tract inside the nasal membrane. Mouth-breathing during sleep will result in chronic inflammations. Bacteria will deposit and breed in its surrounding, giving out putrid gas. This is the cause for bad breath. You can say that bad breath which is produced even after brushing teeth thoroughly mainly comes from the throat.

Q3 Why is mouth-breathing bad for you?
Through mouth-breathing, the direct and dry cool air will result in inflammations in the oral membrane and throat. If the dryness in the mouth continues, the saliva cannot achieve its function, it not only causes gum inflammation, but also easily leads to mouth ulcer and cavity. With mouth-breathing, the nasal membrane which expels large amount of leachate is also not able to function normally causing nose blockage.

Q4 Why is snoring bad?
Apnea during sleep can be exemplified as the state of one's neck being strangled when sleeping. Inability to breathe leads to insufficient oxygen. Shortage of oxygen will burden the heart, causing various lifestyle related disease such as irregular heartbeat and increase in viscosity of blood and stroke.

Q5 What is the relationship between mouth-breathing and sleep apnea?
Dry cool air will directly contact the throat during mouth-breathing causing inflammation of throat membrane and tylosis, leading to narrowing of upper respiratory tract. At the same time, the upper respiratory tract will be closed causing anaerosis to occur as base of the tongue easily subsides towards the throat when mouth is opened.
Q6 What is the relationship between snoring and mouth-breathing?
Mouth-breathing refers to breathing through mouth without using the nose. We can say that snoring is a type of mouth-breathing. Let's imagine that snoring is like the strong building wind passing through the narrowed respiratory tract during breathing. Although not as many women snore as men, many are seen sleeping with mouth-breathing. Snoring frequently occurs when a person is tired or has taken medicine that relaxes muscles such as sleeping pills.

Q7 How will Sleep apnea OSAS disappear?
Many do not have anaerosis even though they are fat. This is because of moderate tension of lips remains during sleep. With lip muscle training, the base of lips will not subside into the upper respiratory tract stopping the respiration as the lips will be kept moderately tensed and tips of the tongue rose to the front during sleep.

Q8 What is the relationship between Eczema and mouth-breathing?
The cause for atopy is the chronic inflammation of the throat due to mouth-breathing. Chronic infection of the tonsil caused by sensitization of bacteria by the lymph cells formed by the throat tonsils is the cause. Atopic skin inflammation will disappear if one does not suffer from throat inflammation for 3 months by using nasal breathing. Likewise, the symptoms for hand and foot disease with pus-filled spots on the hand and feet which is said to be caused by chronic tonsil infection also disappear through the similar process.

Q9 Is it true that the Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) in brain improves?
If we look inside the head using a near infrared rays (a machine known as Light Topography manufactured by Hitachi Medical) during the state of lip muscle training, at one glance we will admit that the blood circulation has increased distinctly on the right frontal lobes. However, the same experiment has denied any changes to the brain's blood flow even when one chews a gum. Apparently, it is necessary for one to move his lips substantially by talking or lip muscle training in order to prevent becoming senile.

Q10 Is it true that one becomes cleverer if the mouth-breathing is cured?
One cannot breathe easily when he has mouth-breathing as the throat will become swollen. If one does not have a sound sleep, it will affect him in the day. There are tendencies such as irritability (restlessness) as well as excessive drinking as eating in order to overcome sleepiness. Insufficient sleep will result in inability to concentrate.

Q11 Is it true that one is less likely to get tooth cavity if the mouth-breathing is cured?
Saliva has the general antiseptic, cleansing and moisturizing functions which is beyond what we thought. However, with mouth-breathing, the saliva in the mouth becomes dried and the saliva cannot perform its function fully. As a result, persons who have mouth-breathing are likely to have cavity in between teeth, surface of back tooth for biting as well as the neck of the teeth. The front teeth is seen with light brown colour.

Q12 Is it true that mouth-breathing will lead to uneven teeth?
It is said that persons with mouth-breathing has weaker strength to close his lips compared to a normal person. Regular teeth is kept by the counter force between orbicular muscle of the mouth and cheek muscles pushing inwards and tongues pushing the teeth outwards. However, the teeth will become uneven if the inward force of orbicular and cheek muscles is weak. The correction doctor dislikes persons with bad tongues and weak lips. This is because even if the correction is completed after many years, the teeth alignment can easily be destroyed if the balance between both is not well. Recently, more doctors are adopting the "Lip Trainer Patakara®" therapy.

Q13 Is it true that acne can be cured through lip-stretching?
Everyone dislikes having acne as metabolic decomposition products accumulate in the skin due to inactive metabolism of the facial skin. Through lip-stretching, we can activate the mimetic muscles by stimulating it. When muscles are activated, the skin structure beyond it also becomes active and thus breakouts such as acne are less likely to happen.

Q14 Is it true that Temporomandibular Arthrosis can be cured through Lip-training?
Temporomandibular Arthrosis is originally a disease of the joints of the jaws. Fundamentally, the correct way of treating it by dentist is to cure by alignment and templates. However, the imbalance of the right and left muscles are doubted if it cannot be cured in this way. It is said that lip-stretching is one of the effective ways to correct the distorted left and right forces of the mimetic muscles.

Q15 Why is Lip-stretching good for the teeth alignment?
Persons with bad teeth alignment have their tips of the tongues either placed behind the bottom front teeth or between the top and bottom rows of teeth. Both cases will affect the teeth alignment adversely. The tip of the tongue will fit nicely on the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth if the force to close lips becomes stronger. This will not destroy the teeth alignment. That is the reason why we often see elderly women with weak strength to close her lips having buckteeth.

Q16 Why is Lip training effective for Facial Nerve paralysis (Bell's palsy)?
The function of our facial mimetic muscles are controlled by the facial nerves. The muscles cannot move if the nerves are paralysed. However, appropriate stimulation given to the paralysed muscles can revive the nerve functions although it takes time. The nerves are re-activated by giving stimulations to the muscles. The function of the nerve will also make the muscles function better resulting in a good cycle. As majority of the mimetic muscles gather around the orbicular muscles which form the shape of the lips, most mimetic muscles are stimulated at the same time when this area is stimulated.

Lip exercise - effective all the he Elderly
Dentistry PhD: Dr Yoshiaki Akihiro

Reasons of effect for each symptom by using "Lip Trainer Patakara®" are explained as below.

1. Complaint towards sore throat
The mimetic muscle surrounding the lips and the cheek muscle forming the orbicular muscles and its inner part do not function adequately as age increases. Hence, it is possible to get sore throat caused by inflammation due to dryness of the throat and mouth if one sleeps with the mouth opened.

Cheek muscle stretching with the use of "Lip Trainer Patakara®" can help to close the mouth during sleep as excessive tension in the orbicular muscle can be kept during sleep.

2. Meals become tastier
It is believed that the stimulation of the dominating muscles of the facial nerve using "Lip Trainer Patakara®" has the rehabilitation effect towards chorda tympani*, the anterior branch of the facial nerve and its positive effects will make the meals becoming tastier.
* Passing through middle year (passing through the ambomalleal, merging with the rigeminal nerve towards the tongue) which is the remnant of the 1st branchial cleft (spiracle), besides controlling 2/3 senses of taste at the front tongue, it also has secretory control over salivary gland (submaxillary, sublingual gland and glandula lingualis anterior). As a result, the amount of saliva increases because the flow of the excreted saliva itself becomes better as glands of the duct excreted from salivary gland expands at the same time. As one cannot taste well when he is thirsty, chorda tympani is useful to pick up double tastes by stimulating the secretion of saliva essential in taking up the taste components.

3. Saliva are secreted more easily (the mouth becomes less thirsty)
We know well that more saliva are excreted as a conditional reflex when foreign body enters the mouth or when new set of false teeth is being put on. Lip stretching using "Lip Trainer Patakara®" calls for this effect.

4. The "Choke" during eating disappears
The strengthening of orbicular muscles through stretching also strengthens the muscular force of the cheek muscles forming inner part of the orbicular muscles. The cheek muscles have the function of linking with cephalopharyngeus muscles through the pterygomandibular raphe and thus cephalopharyngeus muscles will coordinate with the middle and inferior constrictor muscle of pharynx to send the food smoothly down the esophagus.

It is said that the glottis functions as the final barrier in the pharyngeal region to ensure smooth passage for the swallowed food to pass through the esophagus. If the glottis cannot perform its function of opening and closing properly, part of the food flowing down may enter the respiratory tract, causing aspiration pneumonia. Moreover, it is often claimed that by improving the function of fornix of the pharynx, the phlegm (actually instead of being phlegm, it is thought as a throat discharge) inside the stroke patients' throat will be cleared more easily.

5. It is effective in the rehabilitation for those with difficulty in eating and swallowing due to the after effect of cerebrovascular disorder (stroke)

6. It is effective in the rehabilitation for those with articulation (pronounciation) disorder due to the after effect of cerebrovascular disorder
Our tongue touches the side of the palate of the upper jaw's front teeth when we close our lips. This motion exists on the healthy side which is not affected by the stroke. The motion helps to achieve the pulling action of the paralysed side of the tongue by the healthy half towards the front without special effort. The strengthening of the orbicular muscles are linked to the strengthening of this pulling action.

7. The tongue does not thrust when talking
Our tongue touches the side of the palate of the upper jaw's front teeth when we close our lips. Through this movement, we can achieve the pulling action towards the front without special effort. The strengthening of orbicular muscle is related to the strengthening of this pulling action and articulation becomes easier. The strengthening of the cheek muscle which runs across the inner part of buccal mucous membrane also becomes easier. We can say that the common complain among the aged with declined cheek muscle activity about biting the cheek membrane when eating and talking also comes from the weakening of cheek muscle activities (reflex action).

8. It is effective in the rehabilitation of paralysis of facial nerve or similar illness
Majority of the facial expression muscles (below eye from collar bone to the neck muscle on top) are converged at the orbicular muscles which form the lips. Pressurizing the orbicular muscles will have the same effect as pressurizing majority of the mimetic muscles. We can expect the re-activation of facial nerves by conducting appropriate repeated pressurized stimulation regularly everyday. (We can usually notice changes after passing about 5 weeks)

9. It is effective towards people who drool due to after-effect of cerebrovascular disorder
If the mouth is closed firmly, appropriate tension can be kept by the orbicular muscle at all times and thus drooling will stop.

10. Movement of the tongue become smoother when talking
Talking is done through the balancing and coordination between muscular tissues of the lips and tongue. Training of the tongue alone is not sufficient just because the tongues are tied. However, lip training using "Lip Trainer Patakara®" will help to bring about the movement of tongue muscles and thus prevent and protect against tongues being tied when talking.

11. Balance between left & right muscles of the mouth, denture-fit and thus easier to chew food.
Denture-fit by achieving balance between left and right cheek muscle strength, in other words, the dentures do not move inside the mouth and one can take his meal comfortably. (The same denture will become easier to chew)

12. Less frequency to go to toilet during sleep at night
The obstructed breathing during sleep makes it difficult to manage the airway, as if one uses his hand to hold the throat in sleep. This will lead to lack of oxygen and is the cause for irregular heartbeat and inability to get into deep sleep.
The urine will then accumulate as same metabolic activity continues as when one is awake, the person will wake up from his light sleep and feels like going to the toilet. By stretching with "Lip Trainer Patakara®", the base of the tongue will not subside into the airway when one sleeps facing up and thus airway can be kept. The visit to toilet will become less frequent at night as the metabolic activity slows down, one gets into sound sleep due to sufficient intake of oxygen.

13. Effective towards Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome OSAS caused by the base of the tongue subsiding towards the airway in sleep
When one sleeps facing up, his base of the tongue is likely to subside among people with weak strength to close his lips due to aging and one becomes easier to get the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome OSAS
The symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome are as follows.

1. Breathing stops during sleep
2. Waking up to go toilet many times
3. Headache during sleep or after waking up
4. Does not feel like having a good night sleep after waking up
5. Mouth feels sticky, smells bad breath and feeling of phlegm after waking up everyday
6. Frequent gum bleeding and cavities despite numerous brushing everyday
7. High blood pressure cannot be lowered despite long-term dosage of blood pressure drugs
8. Heavy thumping in the chest and irregular heartbeat as diagnosed by doctor
   
9. Sleepiness despite having plenty of sleep. Falls asleep quickly when riding on trains or cars and while watching TV in the afternoon. Sometimes falls asleep in meeting, when talking or reading newspaper.
   
10. Diagnosed by doctor as diabetic despite not taking sweet (sugared) food
    
11. Told to have heart disease
    
12. Had a mild stroke previously

14. Becomes less likely to get mouth inflammation
The mouth becomes dry when one has mouth-breathing or snores. As a result, the membranes inside the mouth become inflamed and one gets mouth ulcers more easily. It is necessary not to sleep with the mouth open for the purpose of preventing mouth ulcers.

15. Less likely to have gum inflammation, periodontal infection and cavity
The dryness in the mouth leads to inflammations of the mouth membrane which easily result in gum inflammation, periodontal infection and cavity. Those who still get gum bleeding and cavities despite frequent brushing should suspect mouth-breathing in sleep. All these symptoms can be improved by nose-breathing in sleep with the help of "Lip Trainer Patakara®".

16. Less likely to have skin disease
The throat membrane will become inflamed just like the mouth if one has mouth-breathing or snoring.
The Waldeyer's lymphatic ring in the throat prevents the intrusion of germs from outside into the body. However, dryness will cause chronic inflammation and lose its defense function. The germs will reversely enter the lymph cells and travels to the whole body through the blood, causing unknown skin diseases such as dry and itchy skin (chronic tonsil focal infection). With the training using "Lip Trainer Patakara®", one will be able to sleep with the mouth closed and it will be improved naturally.

17. The mouth and expression will become younger
The changes in look is a representation of age increase. Mimetic muscle is a muscle tissue which is not being used consciously and thus the changes in age are reflected significantly on the facial expressions which are then being noticed by others. Most of the mimetic muscles are closely related to the orbicular muscles which form the mouth. Therefore, by giving pressure to the orbicular muscles will call for the same results as stimulating most of the mimetic muscles, thus promoting metabolism and makes a person looks younger.
Changes in looks not only satisfy the person himself, it also brings about numerous advantage of being happy for being praised by others.

18. Radical treatment for Dementia
It is confirmed through the topographic device using near infrared rays that the blood flow in the frontal lobe of the brain improves instantly when the lips (mimetic muscle) are stimulated.
It is a well-known and familiar fact in the medical world that dementia occurs when blood flow in the frontal lobe of the brain decreased. However, there are no means and methods so far which can increase the frontal lobe's blood flow. This problem can be solved through the use of "Lip Trainer Patakara®". The prevention and cure of dementia can be done by using "Lip Trainer Patakara®".

The brain of a newborn child is about 400g. It was reported that the brain becomes twice the size between 800~1,000g at around 8~10 months when teeth starts to emerge. During this period, when we look at the baby from the side, his facial expression increases as he drinks milk from the mother's breast single-mindedly using his tongue and lips (We can know very well when we look at the face of baby during actual feeding that all the mimetic muscles from the orbital region to bottom of the face have been used). It is presumed that the stimulation of muscle tissue controlling the facial nerves increases blood flow in the frontal lobe.

In this respect, many reports have shown that elderly in the old folks' home who consume liquid food lazily during every meal without making use of the muscle tissues controlling their facial nerves start to show signs of dementia after 8~10 months due to the decrease in their frontal lobe's blood flow.
Moreover, among the animals, only human beings can talk. Embryologically, it is said that the brain of human beings start to develop (3 times of the human brain 4~5 million years ago) after they begin to talk. Talking (articulation) requires complicated, high degree of coordination among the orbicular, cheek and tongue muscles and this is being controlled by the facial nerves.
To give another example, only humans are able to express complicated feelings as a result of brain development among all the animals. The muscles responsible for expression are fully controlled by the facial nerves. We can understand that if this pipe does not function properly, one becomes emotionless common in dementia just like a "Noh" mask. This is because the frontal lobe of the brain responsible for thinking and facial nerves are most closely related.

(reference)
The position of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome OSAS in our lifestyle is said to be "Snoring at lifestyle signal Yellow (caution), OSAS at lifestyle signal Red blinking (danger)".
OSAS is said to be linked to 1. High blood pressure, 2. Irregular heartbeat, 3. Ischemic heart disease, 4. cerebrovascular disorder, 5. Diabetes, 6. Pulmonary hypertension, 7. Endocrine abnormality. These are treated as lifestyle related disease and one of the risk factors for these diseases lies in respiratory obstruction in sleep.

In the experiment with dogs, it was discovered that when the state of airway blockage during sleep continues for a while, the blood pressure in the day rises just like the night within a few weeks. It was observed that the blood pressure of the dog returns to normal within a few weeks after this was stopped. The assumption was formed that the main cause for essential hypertension is the increased upper airway resistance during sleep.

The blood pressure increases in the day is believed to be caused by chronic stress which came from efforts to overcome sleepiness and maintain awakefullness. Furthermore, the increased intake of caffeine and tobacco in order to get rid of excessive sleepiness makes one falling into the vicious cycle of lifestyle diseases. The term "Canned Coffee Syndrome" had even emerged to reflect the abnormal feeding pattern such as over-consumption of tonic drink, cola and canned coffee to distract oneself from sleepiness.

Incidentally, the term lifestyle disease was defined and created at the Public Health Council as a term "Group of disease linked to lifestyles such as dietary habit, exercise, rest, smoking, alcohol drinking, etc, its symptoms and progression" for primary prevention of diseases.

Meanwhile, obstructive sleep apnea was mentioned in the treatment guideline (6th report by America joint commission on the prevention, diagnosis, assessment and treatment for high blood pressure) for high blood pressure in America in 1997. The likelihood for diseases such as obesity high blood pressure, intractable high blood pressure or nocturnal high blood pressure were mentioned. It has since then aroused concerns whether these lifestyle diseases are linked to the obstructive sleep apnea, the relationship between persons with repeated snoring, apnea and lifestyle disease, as well as snoring not only disturbs the surrounding, it is also an important sign for the individual towards disease prevention.