US Patent 7857831 Lip closing tool

A lip closing tool can be configured to encourage an infant or the like to close his/her mouth unconsciously and keep his/her mouth closed, thereby encouraging formation of a habit of nasal respiration. The lip closing tool can include a lip contact portion that is contacted by the outer surface of the lips during use, and a main body that is configured to be disposed inside the oral cavity during use. The main body can include a teeth contact portion that is disposed on the outer surface of the teeth during use and extends in a left-right direction. A thin lip contacting portion can connect the lip contact portion to the teeth contact portion and can be contacted by the upper and lower lips during use. The teeth contact portion can be formed entirely and integrally from a flexible material. Stimulation portions can be provided by enlarging the volume of the teeth contact portion near the end of right and left paths thereof.