Myofunctional Therapy

The identification and treatment of orofacial muscle patterns, along with their effects on teeth, palatal structure, airway development, jaw function, and associated problems such as pain, speech issues, and difficulties with feeding or swallowing. 

What is myofunctional therapy?

The identification and treatment of orofacial muscle patterns, along with their effects on teeth, palatal structure, airway development, jaw function, and associated problems such as pain, speech issues, and difficulties with feeding or swallowing.

The improper oral resting posture of the tongue and open mouth breathing patterns are known to contribute to the narrowing of the dental and palatal arch, dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, malocclusion, enlarged tonsils, and adenoids, ultimately negatively influencing the anatomy of the upper airway and contributing to sleep-disordered breathing.

A short lingual frenulum (ankyloglossia) is a known factor in restricting tongue mobility and leads to abnormal oral cavity development, with a clear impact on maxillary and mandibular growth, precision of speech, feeding, and swallowing.

Strategies for Success provides myofunctional therapy for children and adults with signs or symptoms of OMD. They may consider you a candidate for treatment if you have any of the following:

• Misaligned teeth
• Teeth grinding
• Facial pain
• Speech problems
• Mouth breathing
• Sensory/oral muscular feeding difficulties
• Frequent allergies 
• Stomach aches
• Sleep apnea
• Lip, tongue, or buccal ties 

They also provide myofunctional therapy to address oral habits (e.g., thumb sucking), mouth breathing, low resting tongue posture, dental misalignments, and tongue thrust. Dentists and orthodontists are often the first health professionals to notice abnormal patterns in the mouth and tongue.

What happens during myofunctional therapy?

Your provider at Strategies for Success conducts a comprehensive evaluation during your first visit to develop a personalized myofunctional therapy plan. They review your medical history, assess your oral structure, orofacial muscle patterns, and overall function. 

Your myofunctional therapy plan will include an individualized program to strengthen and retrain the muscles involved in speech, resting/breathing postures, and swallowing to restore proper muscle patterns.

Most patients need 16-24 weeks of therapy, but the length of treatment may vary.

To learn more about myofunctional therapy at Strategies for Success, call or schedule a consultation online today.