Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
What is it & How does it work?
Myofunctional Therapy addresses and corrects oral dysfunction within the tongue, lips, and face. It improves muscular strength, range of motion and coordination through all aspects of eating, swallowing, talking, breathing and even at rest / sleeping.
What does Oromyofacial Myofunctional Therapy Treat?
It treats various Oromyofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs). These generally occur when oral and orofacial musculature interferes with normal growth, development and function of the orofacial structures. Basically, if any musculature in your face, tongue, lips are not properly functioning, you can develop an OMD.
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Symptoms of various OMDs :
-Jaw pain that also leads into upper back and neck dysfunction
-Mouth Breathing
-Snoring
-Sleep Apnea
-Orthodontic relapse
-Tongue thrust
-Grinding and Clenching
-Excessive drooling
-Tinnitus
-Speech articulation issues
Infants & Children
-Painful nursing
-Damaged nipples during feeds
-Shallow latch or use of nipple shields
-Excessive reflux &/or colic
-Frequent ear infections/ear tubes
-Extended pacifier use
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Tongue & Mouth
-Unreleased tongue tie
-Tongue tie released as an infant
-Open mouth posture
-Keeping mouth closed/lips touching is challenging
-Tongue is sitting low in the mouth at rest
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Neck & Jaw
-Chronic headaches and neck pain
-Chronic TMJ dysfunction
-Tinnitus
-Forward head posture
-Lower neck "hump"
-Grinding & clenching teeth
-Can't whistle, wink, or click your tongue​
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Sleep
-Sleep walking
-Bedwetting or nightmares
-Use of CPAP
-Diagnosed with sleep apnea or needs to go for a sleep test
-Fatigue after waking up in the morning
-Snoring
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Speech
-Speech delay
-Needed speech therapy in the past
-Difficult to be understood by others
-Sounds "nasal" while talking
-Has a "lisp"
-Difficulty speaking fast
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Breathing
-Previous tonsils/adenoids removed
-Large tonsils
-Frequent illnesses
-Chronic allergies/sinus/congestion problems
-Difficulty breathing through nose
-Persistent coughing to clear throat
-Constant dry/cracked lips
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Dental
-Anterior/lateral open bite
-Crossbite
-History of orthodontic surgery
-Relapse of orthodontic treatment (ie. braces)
-Needed expansion of palate during any treatment
-Narrow, or high palate
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Digestive
-History of diet changes
-Diagnosed with digestive issues
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Am I a candidate for Myofunctional Therapy?
If you've navigated this far, you've probably already done some research on your own. Below is a larger list of symptoms that you could go through yourself to see if you are a candidate for treatment. If you still have questions, reach out by submitting a request above.
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Treatment Plans
We treat all ages! Treatment is individualized based on the concern and patient's goals. The Myofunctional Program is split into 3 phases. Please note all appointments are in-person. Virtual appointments by request only.
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Infants (0-1 year old)
-Only 1 phase
-Guidance on next steps
-Pre/Post frenectomy treatment (if warranted)
-Manual therapy/Fascia body work to support feeding
-Guided at home exercises & shown in office
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Toddlers (2-5 years old)
-Intro to Myofunctional Therapy
-Kids at this age vary drastically in their development
-It is advantageous to get a head start on Myo treatment so there is less work to do by the time they are 5+ years old.
-This is not the full "Adult" program but we push as much of it as possible.
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Adults (5+ years old)
-Full program
-Ideally these patients are able to understand instruction and sit at a table to do their exercises independently.
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*To receive a breakdown on costs of each phase, please send in a request.
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