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 Myofunctional Therapy for Adults & Kids

 

What is Myofunctional Therapy?

Myofunctional therapy uses specific exercises to correct the maladaptive resting and movement patterns of the tongue, lips and muscles of the face. Therapy targets proper function of the orofacial musculature at rest, during eating and swallowing, and for healthy breathing patterns.

 

“Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is neurological re-education to assist the normalization of the developing, or developed, craniofacial structures and function. It is related to the study, research, prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of functional and structural alterations in the region of the mouth (oro), face (facial), and regions of the neck (oropharyngeal area).” (Academy of Oro Myofunctional Therapy, AOMT). 

What are Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders?

“Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are patterns involving oral and orofacial musculature that interfere with normal growth, development, or function of orofacial structures, or call attention to themselves (Mason, n.d.A). OMDs can be found in children, adolescents, and adults. OMDs can co-occur with a variety of speech and swallowing disorders. OMD may reflect the interplay of learned behaviors, physical/structural variables, genetic and environmental factors” (Maspero, Prevedello, Giannini, Galbiati, & Farronato, 2014) www.asha.org 

These are the most common red flags for OMDs in Adults and/or Children: 

  • Mouth breathing, open mouth posture 
  • Snoring, sleep apnea
  • Tongue tie, lip tie 
  • Dental, periodontic issues 
  • Crowded teeth
  • TMJ pain, popping, or clicking
  • Bruxism (clenching/grinding teeth)
  • Hypersensitive gag reflex 
  • Chronic nasal congestion, ear, throat infections
  • Difficulty swallowing certain foods or liquids
  • Orthodontic relapse
  • Chronic acid reflux
  • Digestive issues 
  • Chronic neck and shoulder tension 
  • Frequent headaches and/or migraines
  • Oral Habits (nail biting, digit sucking, chewing on objects)
  • Drooling
  • Articulation Disorders
  • Food and texture aversions, picky eating 
  • Infants with difficulty breast feeding, chronic reflux/spit-up, gas, digestive issues, slow/poor weight gain

 

What are the potential impacts of OMDs?

There is a growing body of research looking into the impact of untreated OMDs on dental, physical, and mental health. Below are some examples of how untreated OMDs can develop into a variety of health issues:

 

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, memory problems, ADHD

  • Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children and Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - learning difficulties, ADHD, emotional/behavioral dysregulation

  • Mouth breathing - dentofacial abnormalities, eating and digestive issues, anxiety, chronic respiratory issues, chronic bad breath, dental decay and gum disease, snoring and sleep disordered breathing

  • Clenching/Grinding (i.e.Bruisxm) - gum recession, dental and periodontic issues, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, poor posture

  • Atypical swallow - digestive issues, feeding difficulties, jaw pain

  • Oral habits and/or regular bottle/pacifier use beyond 8mo-1yr - abnormal dentofacial growth, malocclusion, atypical swallow, mouth breathing

  • Articulation disorders - communication difficulties, potentially negative impacts on self-esteem

How can myofunctional therapy help?

Myofunctional Therapy helps to correct movement patterns of the facial muscles and tongue used for breathing, chewing & swallowing, and articulation. Therapy facilitates:

  • Healthy growth and development of the face including upper and lower jaw and upper airway in children
  • Proper function and alignment of the muscles of the head and neck for breathing, chewing, swallowing
  • Nasal breathing
  • Reduction in the severity of sleep disordered breathing in children and sleep apnea in adults
  • Stabilization following orthodontic treatment
  • Significantly improved outcomes following lip and/or tongue-tie release
  • Improved digestive health
  • More resilient immune system as a result of nasal breathing
  • Correction of speech sound disorders 
  • Elimination of oral habits including thumb sucking, nail biting, pacifier, and bottle use 
  • Facial symmetry

The Process

Please check out the SERVICES & FAQ pages for more information

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Consultation

Book a consultation to see if Myofunctional therapy is the right direction for you.
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Assessment

Following your consultation schedule an assessment. Getting to the root cause is the next step.
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Treatment Plan

Once we understand the root cause of your concerns, together we will build a treatment plan designed to work into your daily routines.

BREATHE. EAT. SPEAK.

 

In thermodynamics, the Triple Point of a substance is the temperature and pressure at which the three phases (solid, liquid, and gas) of that substance coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium.