If your child is swallowing incorrectly, breathing through their mouth frequently, sucking their thumb, or has other poor habits, this could affect their oral health and development. And even in adults, these patterns can contribute to orthodontic issues and affect quality of life.
But at Inspira Advanced Dentistry, our doctors are here to help. We offer advanced, interdisciplinary treatment with myofunctional therapy in Campbell, CA. With our team on your side, you can take steps to correct your child’s habits, encourage healthier oral development, and put them on a path to a lifetime of healthy smiles.
What Is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy uses a variety of stretches, exercises, and other physical therapy techniques to correct orofacial myofunctional disorders or OMDs for short. These disorders include things like mouth breathing, improper swallowing, and other undesirable habits.
Myofunctional therapy is usually used for children, though adult myofunctional therapy may also be recommended for older patients in some cases. Treating orofacial myofunctional disorders is extremely important for kids. If left untreated, they can cause serious oral health problems as your child’s teeth, mouth, and jaws develop.
Tongue thrusting, for example, is a common habit in kids. It consists of pushing the tongue against the front teeth while speaking, swallowing, or even while the tongue is resting. It may surprise you, but over time, the pressure of tongue thrusting can actually alter the position of your child’s teeth and lead to bite problems, speech issues, and improper tooth alignment.
With myofunctional therapy, the dentists at Inspira Advanced Dentistry can diagnose your child, get to the root of their “bad habits,” and provide techniques, exercises, and other resources that can help them get back on track.
The benefits of myofunctional therapy
Choosing myofunctional therapy for yourself or your child has lots of benefits. Here are just a few of them:
Improved breathing
Better overall sleep quality
Eliminate harmful oral habits
Ensure proper oral development in kids
Improve clarity of speech
Enhance overall oral health
Reduce or eliminate the need for orthodontics in the future
Lower risk of TMJ/TMD, sleep apnea, and other disorders
Who Is A Good Candidate For Myofunctional Therapy?
Anyone with an OMD may be a good candidate for myofunctional therapy, regardless of age. Myofunctional therapy is typically recommended for kids, but may be appropriate for adult patients in some cases. You or your child may be a good candidate if you have issues such as:
Tongue thrust – Tongue thrust occurs when the tongue is in contact with the teeth when swallowing, speaking, or at rest. This is also sometimes called a “reverse swallow” if it mostly happens when swallowing food.
Open mouth posture – This occurs when your child’s mouth is open at rest. Mouth breathing is also quite common in patients with open mouth posture.
Speech impediments – If your child is unable to speak clearly, it’s possible that this is caused by an OMD that’s interfering with their oral development. This is especially likely if your child has issues making “s” or “sh” sounds.
Thumb sucking – Over time, thumb sucking can interfere with proper oral development and lead to problems like crooked teeth, a narrow palate, and other orthodontic problems.
It may not always be possible to recognize OMDs on your own. If you suspect your child has an OMD, it’s best to work with a pediatrician, speech-language pathologist, or a dentist specializing in myofunctional therapy to properly diagnose their issues.
CTA: Find Out if You're a Candidate for Myofunctional Therapy
Common Myofunctional Therapy Exercises
Not sure what myofunctional therapy exercises may be recommended for you or for your child as part of your treatment plan? The exact treatment plan tends to vary based on each patient’s age, their specific OMD, their oral development, and many other factors. However, myofunctional therapy typically includes most of the following types of exercises:
Facial muscle strengthening
OMDs can often be caused or worsened by imbalances in facial muscles. Children who tongue thrust or have a reverse swallow, for example, may have learned this habit due to issues with the muscles in their jaws, lips, and other parts of their face. Facial muscle exercises can be used to help strengthen these muscles, restore balance, and correct common OMDs.
Tongue positioning exercises
For patients who have OMDs related to the positioning of their tongue, a variety of tongue positioning exercises may be used to “retrain” the position of the tongue. For example, in myofunctional therapy, a child may be taught exercises to strengthen their tongue, and to ensure the proper position (placed on the roof of the mouth) when swallowing.
