Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy uses exercises to train muscles in your mouth and face to move properly. Myofunctional therapy is designed to fine-tune your facial movements and treat abnormal muscle behaviors. Myofunctional disorders cause abnormal muscle movements that affect how you chew, breathe, swallow, or speak. Myofunctional therapy treats these disorders. As your orthodontist in Cordova and Ashland City, TN, we can provide myofunctional therapy.
How Does Myofunctional Therapy Work?
Myofunctional therapy works by using exercises to strengthen your mouth and facial muscles. When you come for your first session of myofunctional therapy, the myofunctional therapist will create a plan to address your disorder. During a therapy session, you may be asked to sing, do breathing exercises, hold a small object between your lips, play a wind instrument, and do other activities.
What Issues Are Treated With Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy aims to ensure that the parts of your mouth like your lips, teeth, and tongue work together as they should.
Myofunctional therapy treats many issues, including:
- Mouth breathing
- Tongue thrust
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Open mouth posture
- Bruxism
- TMJ disorders
What Are the Benefits of Myofunctional Therapy?
There are many ways that myofunctional therapy can help you.
- Improve functioning of nose and mouth: Myofunctional therapy can help you breathe through your nose, speak clearly, and chew foods easily.
- Improve the position of lips or tongue: Myofunctional therapy can help improve the lip or tongue position to support the alignment of the teeth.
- Reduce nighttime breathing problems: If you have obstructive sleep apnea, myofunctional therapy can be used with other therapies to improve outcomes. This can reduce symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea such as daytime sleepiness and difficulty focusing.
- Reduce snoring: By improving how you breathe while sleeping, myofunctional therapy can help reduce how often you snore.
Who Needs Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is designed to help children who are school-aged and through adulthood. To benefit from myofunctional therapy, you must be able to understand and follow directions, so children who are younger than about four years old may not be good candidates.
If you believe that you or your child may benefit from myofunctional therapy, contact us.
Why Choose Us for Myofunctional Therapy?
Patients turn to us for myofunctional therapy because we provide excellent patient care. We have a reputation for helping our patients with professionalism and compassion.
Here’s what you can expect when you come to us for treatment:
- Streamlined calendaring processes: Your time is valuable. We offer easy scheduling and stick to the schedule throughout the day.
- Modern facilities: Our modern, comfortable dental facilities can make your experience a good one.
- Reputation for excellence: People try us and come back because we’re the experts in dental care.
Myofunctional Therapy FAQs
What is mouth breathing?
Mouth breathing is the habit of breathing air through the mouth rather than the nose. This can affect how you sleep and your overall health.
How long does myofunctional therapy take?
Many people go through myofunctional therapy for about six to 12 months. You may need more or less myofunctional therapy depending on the specifics of your condition.
Does myofunctional therapy hurt?
Myofunctional therapy is comfortable and pain-free. Many people seek myofunctional therapy for conditions that cause discomfort – such as TMJ – and then find that myofunctional therapy helps eliminate that pain.
How can I tell if my child needs myofunctional therapy?
You may notice your child snoring, breathing through their mouth, struggling to pronounce words, or having difficulty chewing. Find out whether your child can benefit from myofunctional therapy by speaking to our experts. We can evaluate your child and provide you with more information.
Does myofunctional therapy work for adults?
Yes, myofunctional therapy can work for adults as well as children. If you believe that you could benefit from myofunctional therapy, contact us today.
Need Myofunctional Therapy in Cordova and Ashland City, TN? Call Today!
If you suffer from a disorder that can be treated with myofunctional therapy, get help. Myofunctional therapy can improve your quality of life. To learn more about how myofunctional therapy can help you, call your orthodontist in Cordova and Ashland City, TN.
