Infants instinctively are 100% nasal breathers at birth. Since the beginning, infants have been nasal breathers. Has anyone asked why? Why is nasal breathing so important at birth? As infants grow from their pristine environment and start mirroring the environments of stress, anxiety, and expectations; many of today's children, like us, are sailing a life on the Titanic. Nose Breathe Tongue Positioner treating severe crowding without braces: No extraction required, no braces required, correction of tongue thrust and mouth breathing, development of upper and lower jaws, and stable occlusion. The best time for success in training one to nasal breathing is at a young age, when the jaws are not fully formed. What have famous people said about stress and how is it handled. Chuang Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher, "When archers shoot for enjoyment, they have all their skills; when they shoot for a brass buckle, they get nervous: When they shoot for a prize of gold, they begin to see two targets." Phil Jackson, former Head Coach of LA Lakers and Chicago Bulls recommended that all his players read Dan Millman's book, "Body Mind Mastery". Dan says to gain body-mind mastery; a good place to begin is by controlling your breathing. "The breath is a key to your emotional state because it both reflects and affects your level of tension. Learning to breathe with full feeling gives you the ability to inspire yourself." Rich Dalatri, Strength and Conditioning Coach of the New Jersey Nets said after reading John Douillard's book, "Body, Mind, and Sport"; "When I remind the players to breathe through their noses, they look at me like I'm crazy: but his breathing technique is one of the most important things I've learned in my career." As far as I am concerned, the most important page in Tiger Wood's book, "How I Play Golf", is found on Page 265. Observe how Tiger breathes throughout his book. A very good insight on the lifestyle of American Indians before the influence of the western culture could be found in an out of print book by George Catlin, "Shut Your Mouth and Save Your Life, Notes of Travels Amongst the North-American Indians, 1870." Peter Kolb makes it available from his web site: George Catlin's book is a gem; he would be shocked if he could see what happened to us, 150 years later. A 1957 thesis by Lewis, B. I., Stanford University School of Medicine, "How Incorrect Breathing Affects Your Body, Symptoms Associated with Hyperventilation (Over-Breathing)." www.buteyko.com.au/but/sohs.html. Young Indian warriors had to run long distance holding water in their mouths without drinking it. Was it a test of strength and courage or was it to train for nasal breathing? The Nose Breathe Tongue Positioner (NB/TP) is for children, ages 3 - 8. [No impressions necessary] Like the young Indian warriors, we need to train our children to breathe correctly. We need to get back to the basic understanding that nasal breathing is correct breathing. The difference between nasal breathing and mouth breathing; they are as far apart as: day and night, rivers and oceans, apples and oranges. The Tongue Positioner is a training mouthpiece to train one for nasal breathing. Nasal breathing is under the influence of the parasympathetic nervous system [calm, peaceful, and involuntary] of the autonomic nervous system. Mouth breathing is under the influence of the sympathetic nervous system [stress, agitation, duress, force, and voluntary]. As Lewis pointed in his thesis, long-term mouth breathing could lead to debilitating diseases. Understanding the significance of nasal breathing will give you insights on: why non-extraction orthodontics is more than just about teeth, why infant are nasal breathers at birth, and why the medical establishment needs to recognize that mouth breathing is more than just about breathing. V. Weatherford [Comments] personally has made a profound discovery why tongue placement and nasal breathing are related. Mouth breathing has been linked to snoring, OSA, ADHD, SIDS, hormonal dysfunctions, high blood pressure, abnormal cranio-facial development, malocclusion, allergic rhinitis, diabetes, frequent urination and bed wetting in children. Nasal breathing is important to all of us; it is in children where it could make its greatest impact. It will instill healthy lifestyles and good habits at a young age. [Many of modern day illnesses are preventable.] Recently published articles by Peter Cistulli, PhD, MD and Paola Pirelli, DDS, Journal of Sleep, Vol. 27, No. 4, June 15, 2004, 606 and 761 respectively; their preliminary studies show that Rapid Palatal Expansion (RPE) reduces OSA in children. This is congruent to the philosophy of non-extraction orthodontics and recognizes the importance of early cranio-facial development in children. Tongue function during normal swallowing has the ability to shape the palate of a growing child. A well developed maxilla is essential for the normal cranio-facial development: it will free the mandible for maximum development and grow away from the back of the throat. Many of our illnesses are symptoms of dysfunctional breathing. The Nose Breathe Tongue Positioner (NB/TP) could be retooled and made into a Nose Breathe Pacifier (NB/P) for infants and toddlers who need them. The multi-purpose Tongue Positioner could be used by adults (including the elderly) beside the young to train for nasal breathing. What are the consequences of uncontrolled mouth breathing? Pacifiers and Sippy Cups keep the tongue low and away from the roof of the mouth. They encourage mouth breathing and tongue thrust; the same effects as thumb sucking and therefore, harmful to the developing child. We have unknowingly introduced aberrant habits to our children for the sake of convenience. A speech pathologist once said, "Sippy cups are pacifiers for the carpets and car spills. Let them drink from a cup!" for the sake of the development of oro-motor skills, correction of infantile swallowing pattern, and improved speech articulation. As Dan Millman wisely stated, "A good place to begin is by controlling our breathing!" Yoda, fictional character of Star Wars, is more direct, "Do or do not...there is no try." Steven K. Sue, D.D.S., M.S., Inc. Honolulu, HI USA Tel. (808) 949-8876