What is Myofunctional Therapy?

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is a program used to correct the improper function of the tongue and facial muscles. It consists of therapeutic exercises to strengthen and re- educate facial and tongue muscles optimizing their function. It promotes nasal breathing, proper lip closure, a correct tongue resting position and a healthy swallowing pattern.

​Dysfunction and imbalance of the orofacial muscles can negatively impact breastfeeding, oral hygiene, facial growth and esthetics, stability of orthodontic treatment, Temporomandibular joint movement, posture, digestion , sleep and more.

OMT is painless and the exercises are fairly simple. When certain muscles of the face are activated and functioning properly, other muscles will follow suit until proper coordination of the tongue and facial muscles is achieved.

​Proper assessment of the orofacial muscles allows for targeted and effective exercises for oral posture retraining to promote better health with goals to improve breathing, reduce pain and enhance the quality of life.

Myofunctional Therapy Services

Virtual and In-Person appointments available

PHONE CONSULTATION
30 mins

1

Not sure if myofunctional therapy is right for you? Let me answer your questions and we can see if you or your child is a candidate for myofunctional therapy.

COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION
60-90 mins

2

Our comprehensive evaluation is an in depth 60-90 min appointment assessing orofacial dysfunction, reviewed dental and health history, compensations, function, and a customized plan for therapy.

MINI MYO PROGRAM (4-6 YEAR OLDS)
6-8 sessions • 30 mins

3

Designed for children 4-6 years old who would benefit from simple exercises, but are not ready to have a full foundational program. It is ideal to start young to guide growth and eliminate habits.

HABIT ELIMINATION
4-8 sessions • 30-45 mins

4

A program designed to assist with thumb or finger sucking cessation. Dedication is crucial to success, and the patient must be willing to commit to this treatment. Treatment time can vary from 2-4 months.

PRE/POST FRENECTOMY THERAPY
8 sessions • 30-45 mins

5

During this eight-session therapy program, we will meet four times in person to
practice several exercises in preparation for your surgery. After surgery, we will meet for four sessions to review prior exercises and introduce more to ensure proper healing to prevent re-attachment of the once tethered oral tissue.

OM THERAPY SESSION
12-14 sessions • 30-45 mins
Virtual and in person appointments available

6

During our therapy session you will learn proper techniques to train your mouth and facial muscles through exercises specifically chosen for you and your needs. This program is individualized and benefits those with the following disorders: tongue tie or tethered oral tissues, tongue thrust, TMJ pain, mild sleep apnea, low tongue resting posture, posture problems, open bite, and more.

What to Expect During Your Myofunctional Evaluation

With a comprehensive evaluation, we create a personalized therapy plan tailored to your needs.

EXTRA ORAL ASSESSMENT

We begin by evaluating your posture, including forward head rest posture, head, neck, and facial pain. We'll assess your facial structure, open-mouth resting posture, and nasal breathing. Photos and videos will be taken to document and analyze your specific needs.

INTRA ORAL ASSESSMENT

Our detailed intra oral assessment focuses on identifying any restricted oral tissues such as tongue ties, lip ties, and buccal ties. We assess conditions like tongue thrust, clenching/grinding, tonsil size, palatal development, dental crowding, scalloped tongue borders, improper swallowing patterns, and bite issues (e.g., open bite, crossbite). We also evaluate tongue mobility, function, and resting posture. Photos and videos will be captured to support our assessment.

HABITS

We review any habits that may impact orofacial health, including snoring, nail biting, bedwetting, thumb sucking, restless sleeping, mouth breathing, low tongue resting posture, and pacifier use. 

Benefits of Myofunctional Therapy

Myofunctional Therapy Frequently Asked Questions

  • Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy involves a program of therapeutic exercises to help retrain adaptive patterns of muscle function, and to create and maintain a healthy orofacial environment.

  • OMT may benefit those who suffer from: Obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, allergies/asthma, dental malocclusion (crowded teeth), orthodontic relapse/stability, tonsil and ear infections, tempromandibular joint (TMJ) pain, neck pain, thumb sucking or pacifier use, bedwetting.

  • Proper breathing, reduction in teeth grinding, reduced nasal obstruction, reduction in sleep apnea episodes, straighter teeth, better facial symmetry, improved posture, better sleep, improved attention span, ability to move oral muscles properly, nail biting and other oral habits.

  • Problems with eating, chewing and swallowing. Narrow palate, speech, low tongue resting posture, narrow airway, sleep apnea, mouth breathing, inflammation of tonsils and adenoids, malocclusion, ear infections, poor latching during breastfeeding, poor posture, jaw pain and more.

  • We usually start seeing patients around age 5 and into adulthood. *If you have an younger child, you can reach out to a speech pathologist who also practices orofacial myology.

  • Treatment goals may include normalizing tongue and lip resting postures, establish nasal breathing patterns and creating a correct swallowing pattern.

  • Treatment can range from 3-4 months for adults and 6-12 months for children . But this is not a rule, it depends on the chief complaint, motivation of the patient and if any other therapy/ treatment modalities are involved.

  • After our phone consult and an appointment is made, you will get an email from our software (Simple Practice) asking you to fill out paperwork. After your full evaluation you will get a bag of tools that will be used for therapy. Keep them in a safe place. Items can be replaced with an extra cost. Therapy appointments are usually weekly and last 30-45 min.

    • 30 min. Consultation $50  This appointment is done virtually.  

    • 60-90 min Full Evaluation:   $295.00

    • Foundational Program 12-15 Therapy Sessions 30-45 minute.  Due to therapy being customized to each person, a specific fee can not be listed.  It will be determined and discussed at the consultation.

    • Mini Myo Program (4-6 year old) 6-8 Therapy Sessions 30-45 min. 

    • Tongue Tie Release Program 8 Therapy Sessions 30-45 min. 

    *PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

  • Humans are obligate nose breathers upon birth. This means that we breathe through our nose throughout the day and night, and only open our mouths when we eat and speak. Mouth breathing is when our mouth is open, tongue is low, and air flows in and out of our body through our mouth.

  • Mouth breathing can be a sign there is blockage in the nasal cavity, low tongue resting posture or an obstructed or narrow airway.

  • Mouth breathing is damaging to the gingival tissue and can lead to inflammation in the tonsil and adenoids, chronic bad breath, tooth decay and periodontal disease.

  • As a chronic mouth breather, facial development is disrupted and can result in an elongated face malocclusion and orthodontic relapse.

  • Seek the professional advice of a myofunctional therapist to offer a comprehensive evaluation of airway and tongue position. Referrals will be made as the next step to a better you.

  • Your frenum (also called frenulum) is a band of tissue that connects you cheeks, tongue or lips to other soft or hard tissue in the mouth. Some are more noticeable than others. Some are tighter than others.

  • At any age, but as early as birth.

  • Physician, ENT, Dentist, Registered Dental Hygienist, Pediatricians, Speech and Language Pathologists, and those trained in myofunctional disorders.

    • Loud snoring

    • Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep

    • Pausing of breath during sleep for over 10 seconds

    • Restles

    • Gasping for air during sleep

    • Awakening with a dry mouth

    • Morning headaches

    • Difficulty staying asleep

    • Excessive daytime sleepiness

    • Difficulty paying attention while awake

  • A condition that restricts movement of the tongue, lip or cheek. The condition is present at birth. A short, tight band of tissue tethers or connects the tongue’s tip to the floor of the mouth.