Health needs understanding

Three functions.
One training.

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Triad 1 of 3 · Breathing

Nasal breathing is a must.

The nose warms, humidifies and filters the air; the mouth merely moves it. Mouth breathing is harmful, especially during growth3. Nasal breathing needs a closed mouth and a tongue on the palate.

Triad 2 of 3 · Swallowing

The tongue belongs against the palate.

We swallow several hundred to a thousand times a day7. The starting point is the tongue reference position: the tip of the tongue rests on the small ridge behind the upper front teeth. From there, the tongue works against the palate, not against the teeth.

Triad 3 of 3 · Head balance

Head in balance.

Your head carries your eyes, ears and organ of balance, and it balances on the topmost cervical vertebra. Jaw, tongue, hyoid bone and neck work together as one unit.

Breathing
Swallowing
Head balance

Together: the triad.

Three functions on which everything in the body is built. FaceFormer training calibrates them together, as one pattern.

FaceFormer in the shop  How the training works

Our guiding principle

Health needs understanding.

This is our motto, and it is the foundation of FaceFormer therapy: first understand how breathing, swallowing and head balance are connected, then work specifically at the beginning of the causal chain. Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Berndsen developed the method from this approach, and it has been made in Unna for over 25 years.

He also explains the connections on YouTube

Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Berndsen with the FaceFormer
Dr. Klaus-Jürgen BerndsenDeveloper of FaceFormer therapy

Why these three in particular

The prerequisite for everything to be able to work.

Breathing

Nasal breathing is a must

  • Oxygen for every cell comes only through breathing.
  • The nose warms, humidifies and filters the air. The mouth merely moves it.
  • The nose is a laboratory: the sinuses produce nitric oxide1, and bacteria in the nasal mucosa produce their own defence substances such as lugdunin and epifadin2.
  • Mouth breathing is harmful, especially for the jaw and face during growth3.
  • Nasal breathing needs certain conditions: clear airways, a closed mouth and the tongue on the palate.
Swallowing

The tongue helps shape

  • Every nutrient and every sip of water arrives by swallowing, many hundreds to thousands of times a day7.
  • The tongue on the palate gives the upper jaw support and direction from within, and during growth it helps shape it3.
  • Every swallow is a finely tuned sequence that the brainstem controls using signals from the tongue, palate and throat4.
  • A clean sequence guides saliva and food in the right direction, while the Eustachian tube equalises the pressure in the middle ear.
Head balance

The head defines the space and determines the body’s posture

  • It creates the space for the airways so that breathing and swallowing can run freely.
  • It keeps the body upright so that the diaphragm, muscle pumps and lymph flow can work well5.
  • When the head is balanced, the neck does not have to compensate. Otherwise, the neck and back muscles take on holding work that strains them over time.
  • The eyes, ears and organ of balance stay calmly oriented in space.
One functional circuit, not three separate problems.All three are controlled together in the brainstem, where the vagus nerve also arrives4. You cannot hand any of them over or put them off until later. If one pattern is disturbed, the body compensates, and this extra effort can show up in completely different places. That is why, with many complaints, it is worth looking here too: at the start of the causal chain.

The triad stands at the start of many causal chains. Many complaints can be linked to it. The training brings the natural functions back into the pattern.

  1. 1A basic function deviatesBreathing, swallowing or head balance no longer follow their natural pattern, for example due to a blocked nose, a dummy or long hours of screen work.BreathingSwallowingHead balance
  2. 2The body compensatesIt works around the problem instead of failing: mouth breathing, a tongue without support on the palate, more muscle work in the neck. The compensation pattern becomes a habit.
  3. 3The supply changesOxygen, nutrients and body tension only arrive with more effort.OxygenMetabolismPosture
  4. 4Systems come under strainCirculation, nerves, muscles, joints, teeth and immune defence share the extra effort.
  5. 5Complaints can developOften far away from the mouth. The training starts at the beginning of the chain.

Causal chain as a model according to Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Berndsen. Not every complaint has this cause, but in many people a disturbed basic function is at the start.

Complaints

Do you recognise yourself?

Hover over a card or tap it. You will see how the complaint can be connected to the triad. Not every complaint has this cause, but in many people a disturbed basic function is at the start.

BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Open mouth, mouth breathing

The mouth is often open and dry in the morning.

How are they connected? ›

Open mouth, mouth breathing

  1. The tongue lies low, and the lips do not close on their own.
  2. The air takes the shorter route through the mouth.
  3. The training practises lip closure, the tongue reference position and nasal breathing until they happen without thinking.
Mouth breathing at night
BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Snoring

Loud at night, restless sleep, tired in the morning.

How are they connected? ›

Snoring

  1. During sleep, the tension in the tongue and throat decreases.
  2. With the mouth open, the tongue sinks backwards and the airway becomes narrower.
  3. The training works on lip closure and the tongue reference position, at night with the ZERO.

Pauses in breathing, ear noises or dizziness should first be checked by a doctor.

Snoring and sleep apnoea
BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Jaw, clicking, TMD

The jaw joint clicks, the chewing muscles are tense.

How are they connected? ›

Jaw, clicking, TMD

  1. The chewing muscles, tongue and neck work as a unit.
  2. If this pattern gets out of balance, the jaw joint may bear the load.
  3. The training readjusts how the tongue, lips and head balance work together.
TMD and jaw joint
BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Teeth grinding and clenching

Tired jaws in the morning, worn teeth.

How are they connected? ›

Teeth grinding and clenching

  1. During sleep, the nervous system seeks a way to balance tension in the system.
  2. Grinding and clenching can be one such way of balancing.
  3. A splint gives the jaw a position from the outside. The training adjusts its muscular guidance.
Grinding, clenching and splints
BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Neck and headache

Tense neck, the head drifts forward.

How are they connected? ›

Neck and headache

  1. The head needs to be balanced, every hour of the day.
  2. If the jaw and tongue do not play their part, the neck takes on more.
  3. The training explicitly includes head balance.
Neck and back
BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Tongue, swallowing, lisping

The tongue pushes between the teeth.

How are they connected? ›

Tongue, swallowing, lisping

  1. The tongue can’t find its place on the palate.
  2. It presses forward against the teeth when you swallow.
  3. The training guides it to the palate using the negative pressure created when you swallow.
Tongue reference position
BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Braces and tooth position

Teeth are crooked or shift back after braces.

How are they connected? ›

Braces and tooth position

  1. Every day, the tongue and lips act on the teeth many hundreds to thousands of times.
  2. An unfavourable pattern works against the position of the teeth.
  3. The training accompanies braces and retainers; both stay in place.
Retainers and relapse
BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Pressure in the ears

Your ear feels blocked and pressure equalisation doesn’t work well.

How are they connected? ›

Pressure in the ears

  1. When you swallow, the Eustachian tube opens and equalises the pressure.
  2. Swallowing pattern and breathing play a part in this.
  3. The training practises exactly this swallowing sequence.

Pauses in breathing, ear noises or dizziness should first be checked by a doctor.

Ear pressure and pressure equalisation
BreathingSwallowingHead balance

Children

Open mouth, dummy, tongue between the teeth.

How are they connected? ›

Children

  1. Childhood patterns help shape how the jaw and face grow.
  2. Taking an early look is worthwhile.
  3. Children train playfully with the softer ZERO.
FaceFormer for children

All areas of application

FaceFormer ZERODrag to rotate
Exit to scroll

Lip wedge Oval and bevelled all round. It sits in front of the lips, guides them towards the centre of the mouth and gives clear feedback.

Membrane It lies in the oral vestibule in front of the teeth and adapts to different jaw shapes. When you swallow, a slight negative pressure develops, and the tongue rests against the palate.

Material Medical-grade liquid silicone, tested for biocompatibility, free from latex, BPA and plasticisers. A CE-marked Class I medical device from Unna.

The device

What is the FaceFormer?

A training device made of medical-grade silicone that lies in the oral vestibule in front of the teeth. The lips close around the lip wedge, a slight negative pressure develops when you swallow, and the tongue rests against the palate. This is how your nervous system practises the pattern of breathing, swallowing and head balance.

  • Medical-grade siliconeTested for biocompatibility, without latex, BPA and plasticisers
  • One size for everyoneZERO and ONE are the same size and the same shape
  • ZERO softer, ONE firmerYou start with the ZERO, and at night it stays the ZERO

More about the device   What is FaceFormer therapy

ZERO and ONE

Same shape.
Two levels of firmness.

ONE

Firmer. For daytime training after a few weeks, also for older children. Material and manufacturing · In the shop: ONE blue, ONE clear

ZERO

Softer. Every training programme starts with it, it is the FaceFormer for the night and is recommended for children aged 2 to 10. FaceFormer for children · ZERO in the shop

How it works

Pattern, not muscle.

Breathing, swallowing and head balance happen without thinking. The nervous system controls them according to a learned pattern. The starting point is the tongue reference position: the tip of the tongue rests on the small ridge behind the upper front teeth, the lips rest lightly together and air flows through the nose.

How FaceFormer therapy works

RepeatDuring the exercise, you repeat the sequence at short intervals, far more frequently than in everyday life. This gives your nervous system many identical, clean repetitions in just a few minutes. Strength doesn’t matter here.
RelearnWhat is repeated the same way often, the brain links more firmly. What is no longer used fades. This is how you once learned to speak and walk.
On its ownSpread over three sessions a day so that the pattern doesn’t slip back between sessions, until it runs without attention, even during sleep.
FaceFormer ONE, hygiene box and ZERO

In the set

Everything you need.

ONEHygiene boxZERO

Plus the free app: it guides you through the basic exercises, counts along and reminds you.

ZERO and ONE as a set in the shop

How to train

Strength isn’t important.
The pattern is what counts.

A few minutes, three times a day. Hover over an exercise to see it in motion.

From day 1Basic exerciseHold with the lips, bite down, swallow, relax.
From week 3Pull exercisePull gently forwards; the tongue rests against the palate.
From around week 3NightThe ZERO keeps practising while you sleep.
From around week 6Advanced trainingPulling in all directions, breathing, head balance.
Train along right away“FaceFormer Training Pur”: ten minutes of basic exercise and pull exercise to follow along with, on YouTube.
The app guides youIt shows the basic exercises, counts along and reminds you of your sessions. Free for iOS and Android.
Process and durationWhat to expect in the first few weeks and how you can tell that the pattern is changing.

Study

Studied, randomised.

At the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, 45 children and adolescents were randomly assigned to two groups: training with the FaceFormer or myofunctional therapy without a device, each for six months. Follow-up examinations were carried out on 30 children, 17 with and 13 without the device. This is a single study with a small group, and it makes no statement about long-term stability.

Studies and science

Mouth breathing after 6 months

with FaceFormer23,5 %
without device69,2 %

Faulty swallowing pattern after 6 months

with FaceFormer29,4 %
without device84,6 %

Beforehand, mouth breathing was at 88.5 and 94.7 per cent, and all of them had a faulty swallowing pattern. Schwan M, dissertation, University of Hamburg 2007. Korbmacher et al., Int J Orofacial Myology 2004.

Gesundheit braucht Verstand · on YouTube

Connections, clearly explained.

On YouTube, Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Berndsen explains how breathing, swallowing and head balance are connected with many topics.

The videos only load when you click play. Data is then transmitted to YouTube (Google). To the channel

Your path

Where do you want to start?

For youTrain on your ownFrom the first day to a pattern that runs by itself. With the app and, if you wish, with a practice at your side.
For parentsSupporting childrenHow to recognise signs and how children train through play.
For practicesWorking with the FaceFormerSeminars on the methodology and a listing in the practitioner directory.

Find a practice near you  FaceFormer and other treatments

Questions

Briefly answered.

Which FaceFormer do I start with?

You always start with the ZERO. After a few weeks, the ONE takes over daytime training, while you continue to wear the ZERO at night. Children up to the age of ten train with the ZERO throughout.

How often and for how long do I train each day?

Three times a day for a few minutes, spread across morning, midday and evening. What matters is regularity, not strength.

Do I need a therapist?

Not necessarily. With the free app and the exercise pages, you can also train on your own. A practice is advisable if you are not making progress, want to have symptoms clarified or would like professional support. The practice carries out an assessment, puts together the appropriate modules and corrects how you perform the exercises. You can find practices in the practitioner directory.

How long does the therapy take?

That depends above all on how long a pattern has already existed. Expect several months until it runs without conscious attention.

Does German statutory health insurance cover the costs?

German statutory health insurance funds do not usually cover the cost of the FaceFormer itself. More on cost coverage

All questions

Sources
  1. Lundberg JO, Farkas-Szallasi T, Weitzberg E et al. (1995). High nitric oxide production in human paranasal sinuses. Nature Medicine 1(4):370–373. Source
  2. Zipperer A et al. (2016). Human commensals producing a novel antibiotic impair pathogen colonization (Lugdunin). Nature 535:511–516. Source. Torres Salazar BO et al. (2023): Epifadin, Nature Microbiology.
  3. Abdel Hadi LA, Aburahma SK (2022). Effect of mouth breathing on dentofacial morphology, systematic review. Harvold EP et al. (1981): Primate experiments on oral respiration, Am J Orthod 79(4):359–372 (animal study). Source
  4. Jean A (2001). Brain stem control of swallowing: neuronal network and cellular mechanisms. Physiological Reviews 81(2):929–969. Source
  5. Berndsen K-J. Trust the Triad; Berndsen K-J, Berndsen S: FaceFormer Trainings-Therapie, Manual zur Methodik, 2nd edition 2024 (model of the method).
  6. Schwan M (2007). Dissertation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf; Korbmacher HM et al. (2004), Int J Orofacial Myology 30:39–52. Source
  7. Lear CS, Flanagan JB, Moorrees CFA (1965). The frequency of deglutition in man. Archives of Oral Biology 10:83–100 (24-hour measurement: mean of 585, range 203 to 1008 swallows per day). DOI

Get started

Ready for the training?

The free FaceFormer app guides you through the basic exercises, counts along and reminds you of your sessions. If you wish, a practice from the practitioner directory can support you.

App StoreGoogle PlayFind practitioners
FaceFormer ZERO + ONE

FaceFormer ZERO + ONE

Both material hardnesses for getting started, day and night. The set for adults.

64,33 €incl. VAT, free shipping
In the shop
FaceFormer ZERO

FaceFormer ZERO

The softer FaceFormer for getting started, for children and for the night.

39,90 €incl. VAT, free shipping
In the shop
FaceFormer ZERO Children's Set

FaceFormer ZERO Children’s Set

ZERO with hygiene box, plush bag and success book with stamp.

59,90 €incl. VAT, free shipping
In the shop

FaceFormer training aims to restore the physiological setting of the basic functions of breathing, swallowing and head balance, with lip closure and the tongue reference position, thereby creating the conditions under which symptoms can improve. It does not replace a medical assessment. You can find practitioners near you in the practitioner directory.