According to the Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) are disorders of the muscles and functions of the face and mouth. OMDs may affect, directly and/or indirectly, breastfeeding, facial skeletal growth and development, chewing, swallowing, speech, occlusion, temporomandibular joint movement, oral hygiene, stability of orthodontic treatment, facial esthetics, and more.

 

Most OMDs originate with insufficient habitual nasal breathing or with mouth breathing. The subsequent adaptation of the muscles and the orofacial functions to a disordered breathing pattern creates many OMDs. Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders may impact treatments by orthodontists, dentists, dental hygienists, speech-language pathologists, and other professionals working in the orofacial area. For example, orthodontics for straightening teeth may prove ineffective when a tongue thrust is present. 

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The goal of Myofunctional Therapy (MFT) is to eliminate Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) by means of exercises, muscle retraining, postural correction and more. Myofunctional Therapy retrains the tongue, its function related to deglutition and airway patency.  It optimizes proper movement of the TMJs (jaws), nasal breathing, correction of tongue posture and prevention of an obstructed airway.  Importantly, myofunctional therapy can have a major impact on the growth and development of a child's mouth, jaws and ultimately the forward growth of the lower half of the face.  This means that the child will have the face he/she was meant to have without the complication of OMDs and instead develop a healthy unobstructed upper airway. 

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Here are some the most frequently asked questions by some of our patients:

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Q: What is the relationship between myofunctional therapy and mouth breathing? 

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A: Myofunctional therapy can prevent and even eliminate mouth breathing by means of an airway assessment that includes tongue posture evaluation, swallowing habits, and a prescribed set of individualized exercises that strengthen jaw and tongue muscles. In addition, myodoc will facilitate nasal clearing habits and make recommendations beyond the scope of practice if necessary.

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Q: What's the big deal with mouth breathing anyway? Is it really that bad? 

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A: We are the only mammals that are able to breathe through our mouths. Do not confuse a dog panting with breathing. We are meant to breathe through our nose, and mouth breathing can be particularly damaging to our whole body health, including changes in our facial structure, trouble focusing, trouble sleeping, and sleep disordered breathing. With that said, nasal breathing is important for many reasons. As an example, when air enters our nose it is humidified and purified in the turbinates in our nasal cavities prior to it entering our lungs. This helps immunity, maximization of O2/CO2 exchange and more. 

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Q: What’s A Low Resting Tongue?

 

A: When your tongue is down or is resting in the mandible (lower jaw), it is considered low resting posture. Your tongue provides a support structure for your jaw. Optimally, it should rest in the top of your mouth all the way from the tip to the very back. If that is not the case, this might be a symptom of an oromyofacial disorder. 

 

Q: Can Myofunctional Therapy Help Snoring?

 

A: Yes. Mouth breathing is practically married to snoring. When the tongue is weak it will fall back into the airway even with side sleeping. This frequently translates into snoring which can translate into a poor night's sleep. Keep in mind you don't have to make noise to have sleep disordered breathing.  Upper airway collapse (aka: Upper Airway Resistance UARS) is known to have minimal or no sound and studies have shown that these individuals can suffer as much or more than someone with an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) diagnosis. Our providers will help you learn to breathe through your nose during the day and night, and strengthen the muscles in your throat. As the result, you can have less collpase and/or snoring preventing OSA and UARS.  This will prevent "micro-arousals" that are the cause of disrupted, un-refreshed sleep.  When these issues are resolved quality sleep means better cognitive function during the day.

 

Q: Can Adults Benefit From Myofunctional Therapy?

 

A: Definitely. Although we work with patients of all ages, most of our patients are adults.  Our MFT goal with children is to prevent oromyofacial disorders from taking root, which in itself will help maximize and correct craniofacial growth. However, adult treatment focuses on correcting myofunctional habits allowing them to breathe better, sleep better, and subsequently live better, healthier lives. 

 

Q: Is The Therapy Difficult?

 

A: On the contrary, the therapy and our prescribed exercises are so easy that they can be done virtually anywhere and at any time.