Myofunctional therapy is a powerful, non-invasive treatment focused on retraining the muscles of the face and mouth to improve breathing, swallowing, and speech. It addresses underlying habits like low tongue posture, tongue thrusting, mouth breathing and improper chewing and swallowing to enhance overall oral health, boost facial structure, and prevent long-term health issues. This therapy is for anyone looking to optimize their oral function and appearance.

The four Main Goals of Myofunctional Therapy are:

• Nasal Breathing

• Lip Seal

• Proper Tongue Posture

• Correct Swallow Pattern

• Chronic mouth breathing or difficulty breathing through the nose

• Frequent snoring or disrupted sleep, including signs of sleep apnea

• Poor tongue posture, such as resting the tongue on the bottom of the mouth instead of the roof

• Difficulty swallowing or chewing properly

• Speech difficulties, including lisps or unclear articulation

• Jaw pain, clicking, or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues

• Misaligned teeth or orthodontic relapse after braces

• Open bite

• Open mouth posture at rest

• Frequent throat clearing or chronic sore throat

• Lip incompetence, where the lips do not naturally close without effort

• Bedwetting past a typical age

• Restless sleep, poor quality sleep, difficulty waking even with ample “sleep hours”

• ADHD behavior

• Forward head posture

If you recognize any of these signs, myofunctional therapy can help retrain your oral muscles for improved function, health, and overall well-being.

No! Nasal Breathing warms, humidifies and filters air as we breathe. This reduces the amount of allergens, bacteria and viruses entering our bodies. Nasal Breathing helps reduce drying effects on the mouth including bad breath, gum disease, and decay. Nasal breathing also creates Nitric Oxide which helps with blood flow and supports cardiovascular health. It also improves oxygenation to the brain, has a calming affect, activates the parasympathetic nervous system leading to lower stress and anxiety.

In children, Nasal Breathing promotes proper jaw growth and teeth alignment, by encouraging proper tongue posture.

Alternatively, Mouth Breathing is actually linked to snoring, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) and Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA). Those that mouth breathe often suffer from more colds, allergies, and asthma. Mouth Breathing indicates improper tongue posture which often leads to many health issues including an ability to get good quality sleep, higher anxiety and stress, and orthodontic relapse to name a few.

Myofunctional therapy can benefit a wide range of individuals experiencing issues related to oral and facial muscle function. This includes:

• Children with Crowded Teeth, Tongue Thrusting or Thumb Sucking Habits: Helps correct improper swallowing patterns and prevents dental misalignment.

• People with Sleep-Disordered Breathing: Improves airway muscle tone, reducing snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea symptoms.

• Individuals with Speech Disorders: Assists in retraining muscles to improve articulation and clarity.

• Patients with Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders: Relieves muscle tension and promotes better jaw function.

• Those with Orthodontic Concerns: Enhances the effectiveness and stability of orthodontic treatments by normalizing tongue and lip posture.

• Adults and Children with Chronic Mouth Breathing: Restores nasal breathing to improve oral health and overall well-being.

Essentially, anyone struggling with dysfunctional oral habits, breathing, or muscle coordination in the facial region can see marked improvements through myofunctional therapy.

Absolutely not. Myofunctional therapy addresses the root causes of dysfunctional oral habits and muscle patterns, such as tongue thrust, improper swallowing, and mouth breathing. These issues develop over years and require consistent, focused effort to retrain muscle function.

Expecting overnight results isn’t realistic. The therapy demands daily exercises, patience, and commitment—often spanning several months to years depending on severity and individual progress. It’s a transformative process, not a quick patch.

If you want lasting change that improves not only oral health but also breathing, speech, and facial development, myofunctional therapy delivers. But it’s bold, disciplined work—not a rapid fix.

Myofunctional therapy is part a multidisciplinary approach which coordinates the expertise of various healthcare professionals to address orofacial muscle dysfunctions effectively.

After evaluation, if needed, your myofunctional therapist can help guide you in coordinating treatment with specialists including dentists, speech-language pathologists, orthodontists, ENT specialists, craniosacral therapists, and oral surgeons, patients receive comprehensive care that tackles the root causes of conditions like tongue thrust, sleep apnea, malocclusion, and speech disorders.

This collaboration ensures patients not only achieve functional improvements but also long-term stability. Myofunctional therapy becomes more than isolated rehab—it’s a strategic intervention that maximizes outcomes. It revolutionizes traditional treatments by emphasizing muscle function, breathing, and posture as foundational elements for oral and systemic health.

With this multidisciplinary approach, we are able to optimize performance, prevent relapse, and help to restore natural balance.

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