What is Myofunctional Therapy?

Myofunctional Therapy is a program that targets and corrects improper tongue and oral muscle patterning. Oral myofunctional issues create difficulties with resting mouth and tongue postures, swallowing and breathing. These difficulties can often lead to problems with eating, drinking, speech, breathing and/or sleeping. Myofunctional exercises aim to strengthen, coordinate and retrain the muscles involved in swallowing, resting posture, speech and breathing.

Oromyofunctional Issues and Their Symptoms

  • Infants and Babies

    Symptoms:

    • Difficulties with latching during breast and/or bottle feedings

    • Painful breast feedings

    • Falls asleep during feedings

    • Reflux

    • Cluster feedings

    • Slow eater

    • Difficulty holding a pacifier

    • Open mouth posture during sleep

    Oral development in infancy can be impacted by a number of factors and can change the normal growth of the face, resulting in less than optimal facial features. Sucking and swallowing difficulties and habits of a young child can put them at a significant risk for malocclusions. Weakness and/or limited range of the lips, tongue, cheek, and/or jaw can cause issues with your infants eating and sleeping.

  • Children

    Symptoms:

    • Mouth breather day and/or at night

    • Sleeping issues

    • Teeth grinding

    • Appear hyperactive

    • Speech difficulties

    • Limited diet or a picky eater?

    As your child’s cranial facial structures develop, many factors can interfere with its natural development. Oromyofunctional issues affect more than just your child’s teeth and smile, it can affect their growth and development, learning, and behaviors.

    Children experiencing oral motor or oromyofunctional difficulties may be picky eaters or slow eaters. They may also have sleeping and /or airway issues. It can also impact your child’s speech.

  • Adults

    Symptoms:

    • Snoring or feel unrested after a full nights sleep

    • Sleep apnea

    • Teeth grinding

    • Jaw pain

    • Mouth breather during the day or during sleep

    • Frequent headaches

    • Shoulders and neck tension

    • Difficulties swallowing

    • Slow eater and/or a picky eater?

    • Orthodontic relapse

    Adults that are experiencing oromyofunctional difficulties have typically developed oral habits which have impacted the normal development and growth of the muscles and bones of the face and mouth. These factors can impact an adults breathing, sleeping, eating, and talking.

  • It's Genetic

    • Can you identify yourself or a family member with oromyofunctional difficulties or symptoms?

    • Certain types of oromyofunctional difficulties are inherited. Both genes, environment, and oral habits can have a large impact on breathing, eating and swallowing, sleeping, and overall feelings of wellness.

    • Ideally, we would like to identify and treat oromyofunctional difficulties when individuals are very young. However, it is proven helpful for individuals of all ages that are experiencing oromyofunctional issues.

  • Evaluate It

    An evaluation is performed to create an individualized program that addresses specific goals to retrain you or your child’s orofacial muscles and improve function.

    Exercises will be given to perform daily in an effort to retrain muscle patterns normalizing resting posture of the tongue, lips, and jaw, while also eliminating harmful oral habits, and establishing nasal breathing.

    Joint treatment and planning is done in collaboration with other specialists such as; lactation consultants, dentists, orthodontists, ear, nose, throat doctors, airway specialists, and osteopathic specialists.

    Make an Evaluation Appointment

  • Treat It

    A customized plan of care is created for each individual teaching a combination of exercises that retrain and improve biting, tongue posture, facial posture, and breathing.

    Make a Therapy Appointment

  • Benefit From It

    Oromyofunctional therapy can improve you or your child’s ability to breathe, eat, drink, and sleep.

    Oromyofunctional therapy is proven effective for sleep apnea, jaw pain, and establishing optimal breathing habits. Retraining tongue and jaw resting postures supports nasal breathing and optimal facial growth.

Free 20 Minute Phone Consult

Do you have questions? Would you like to know more? Set up a free initial phone consult. We are always happy to educate and empower parents and adults. It is also an opportunity to discuss referring specialists that may be needed.