Myfunctional Therapy

What is Myfunctional Therapy

Growth and development of the upper and lower jaws, teeth positioning, and airway development are strongly influenced by the position of the tongue and other orofacial muscles. If there is an imbalance of these muscles due to oral habits such as thumb sucking or pacifier use, mouth breathing, or tethered tissues such as tongue or lip tie, your child may be a candidate for myofunctional therapy.

​Just as physical therapy helps to train our bodies back into optimal shape after an injury, Myofunctional therapy helps by training the soft tissues of the face, neck, and mouth to function at the height of their ability. Myofunctional therapy is also an important adjunct to orthodontics and orofacial surgeries such as frenectomies.

Our amazing myofunctional therapists are here to help your child thrive! Their goals for your child include:

• To better understand the importance of proper tongue position (roof of the mouth) and proper oral rest posture. ​A low tongue position can contribute to improper development of the palate, dental crowding and crossbites, and airway obstruction.
• To better understand the importance of establishing lip seal and eliminating mouth breathing.
• To better understand the importance of continuous nasal breathing to optimize airway health and facial growth.​
• To clearly identify and illustrate the importance of pre/post operative Myofunctional therapy exercises as part of a successful tongue-tie (Frenuloplasty) procedure.
• Strengthen the tongue and orofacial muscles through myofunctional therapy exercises and pattern retraining to help resolve issues associated with sleep, breathing, posture, orthodontic relapse, cervical neck tension, and jaw pain, among others.