What is Myofunctional Therapy?

 

Myofunctional Therapy is an exercise-based treatment. It teaches you exercises that relate to tongue placement, breathing, speaking, chewing, and swallowing.

It teaches an awareness of the oral and facial muscles. The tongue should rest in the right place and the mouth should stay closed. When these two things happen, big overarching problems around braces, speech, jaw pain and sleep apnea either disappear or become much easier to treat.

The focus of Myofunctional therapy is the airway. All of the below are symptoms and areas that are looked at and considered when doing myofuntional therapy.

  • Tonsils and adenoids

  • Mouth breathing vs. nasal breathing

  • Where the tongue rests in the mouth

  • Tongue-tie

  • Orthodontic treatment

  • Speech and articulation

  • Jaw pain and dysfunction (TMJ/TMD)

  • Head, neck and facial pain

  • Snoring and sleep apnea

  • Facial structure

  • Habits such as thumb and finger sucking

Your therapy will be:

 

Personalized

You will be evaluated and all symptoms noted. We will then target your therapy from number of sessions to exact exercises based on your particular needs.

Progressive

We will start small and work our way toward healing and full range of motion and an open airway. Exercises will progress as you are able to do more, more will be expected.

Holistic

The program of therapy will work toward helping and healing all issues with the oral and facial muscles. We will not solely focus on one element, but on how all work together.

Before/After Myofunctional Therapy

  • Before, Thumb Sucker

  • After, Thumb Sucker (1 year)

  • Before, Airway

  • After, Airway

  • Before, Airway

  • After, Airway (6 months)

  • Before, TMJ/Tongue Thrust/Headaches (18 yr Female)

  • After, TMJ/Tongue Thrust/Headaches (18 yr old Female)

  • Before

  • After

  • Before, Tongue Thrust/Incorrect Swallowing

  • After, Tongue Thrust/Incorrect Swallowing

  • Airway Before: 65yo Female—Waking up several times at night CPAP non compliance, discomfort, and difficulties keeping it on mouth breathing, Low tongue posture

  • Airway After: 1 year

 

How to get started:

Contact me and I will do a free evaluation to see what your specific needs are. We will go from there and develop a full program of therapy to meet your needs and goals. Therapy can range from a few sessions to a year or more depending on your needs.

 

FAQs

 

Why haven’t I heard of Myofunctional Therapy before?

Myofunctional therapy is a rapidly expanding field. But is still not taught in medical and dental schools. There is growing research in airway and related issues, but has not been mainstreamed into media or healthcare practices. Dental offices remain the best place to learn about the benefits and need for myofunctional therapy.

What are the main problems related to Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDS)?

The main problems related to OMDs are alterations in breathing, sucking, chewing, swallowing and speech, as well the position of the lips, tongue (including what is known as oral rest posture), and cheeks.

At what age should myofunctional therapy begin?

You can begin therapy as early as 6 months. The earlier muscles and dysfunction are corrected the less problems a person will have later in life. However you can do therapy at any point in your life to relieve symptoms and achieve correct orofacial function.

What is mouth breathing and does it cause damage?

Mouth breathing refers to breathing performed predominantly by the mouth. In this way of breathing, the individual does not use, or uses very little, the nose to inhale and exhale the air.

Yes, mouth breathing can cause damage to the mouth and face’s structures and their function, including sleep, feeding, learning, hearing and speech. Keeping an open mouth posture can cause: dry and chapped lips, short and fast breathing; diminished strength of the muscles of the lips, cheeks, jaw and tongue; a lowered and more anterior oral rest posture of the tongue, leading to changes in aesthetics and position of teeth/occlusion (improper fit of the teeth); elongated face, retruded mandible, and palate (“roof of the mouth”) becoming more narrow and /or deep

How can mouth breathing affect functions related to the mouth and face?

Mouth breathing leads to chewing food with lips apart, which becomes faster, noisier and less efficient than with lips closed. This can lead to greater digestive problems and potential for choking due to the poor coordination between breathing, chewing, and an increase in the swallowing of air. It’s hard to breathe through the mouth when the mouth is full, thus an individual will need to choose whether to chew or to breathe. In the process of swallowing, one may also notice changes such as: anterior projection of the tongue, noise, contraction of muscles that wrap around the mouth and movements of the head. There may also be excessive production of saliva and an anterior lisp.