You or your child may have an orofacial myofunctional disorder if you experience:

• Mouth breathing or difficulty breathing through the nose

• Constantly parted lips

• Limited tongue movement or tongue thrust when swallowing

• Messy eating or drinking

• Speech issues such as a lisp or impediments

• Dental problems like crooked teeth, overbite, underbite, frequent cavities, or teeth grinding/clenching

• Jaw tension or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD)

• Allergies, sinus congestion, or dry mouth

• Headaches or migraines

• Digestion issues

• Sleep problems such as snoring, sleep apnea, trouble staying asleep, or never feeling well-rested

OMDs result from abnormal oral functional patterns - most often an improper resting or swallowing position of the tongue. Over time, these habits can interfere with the healthy growth and development of the bones and muscles of the face and mouth.

A natural and effective treatment for OMD is myofunctional therapy, which retrains the muscles to restore proper oral function.

A myofunctional disorder can be caused by many factors, including:

• Finger or thumb sucking

• Prolonged use of a bottle or pacifier

• Tongue-tie

• Cheek or nail-biting

• Teeth clenching or grinding

• Upper airway obstruction

• Blocked nasal passages

• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids

• Allergies

• Hereditary predispositions

• Tongue Thrust (tongue pushes outside mouth or against teeth when swallowing)

• Habitually sucking or chewing on objects

Yes! You’ll learn how to:

• Breathe through your nose instead of your mouth all the time: This better filters and humidifies the air you breathe, releasing more nitric oxide into your body, which acts as an anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial. It’ll help calm your nervous system and more effectively distribute oxygen in your body tissues, including your brain.

• Keep your lips together anytime you aren’t eating, drinking, or talking: This ensures nasal breathing, creates a healthier mouth environment, and encourages healthy teeth position.

• Keep your tongue sealed to the roof of your mouth anytime you aren’t eating, drinking, or talking: This encourages healthy teeth position, jaw development and reduces the tendency to clench or grind your teeth. It also creates more stability in your jaw joint, opens your airway wider, and helps you sleep better with less airway obstruction and snoring.

• Swallow correctly: This encourages healthy teeth position. It reduces the amount of air you bring into your system, which can lead to digestion issues. It also helps calm and stabilize your nervous system.

Need more proof?

Book a consultation. We’ll happily answer all your questions.

Myofunctional therapy exercises only take 5 minutes, twice a day. They’re quick and can be done anywhere.

Once you have completed the program, you do not need to continue doing exercises every day. The most important piece is maintaining the awareness you will develop throughout the course of your program. There are manageable exercises that you will be provided at the end of your program to maintain your progress. For best results, these maintenance exercises are completed 5 minutes, 2-3 times per week.

The total duration of your individualized exercise program lasts 6-9 months on average.

Keep in mind:

Your cooperation and self-discipline in the therapy assignments are crucial to your success.

Yes. We are accepting new patients for myofunctional therapy.

We offer online virtual and in-person appointments for your myofunctional care convenience.