Myofunctional Therapy

What is Myofunctional Therapy?

Myofunctional therapy is an exercise-based therapy that helps “retrain” muscles of the lips, tongue, mouth, and face. The course of treatment typically lasts for 6 months.  The exercises will be reviewed in your session, but should also be done at home. 

Research shows that Myofunctional Therapy can help improve the following symptoms:

  • Mouth breathing

  • Snoring

  • Bruxism (teeth grinding)

  • Neck/shoulder tension

  • Speech sound errors- specifically, on /r, s, sh, l, d, t, n, ch, j/

  • Cavities

  • Dry mouth

  • Tongue thrust

  • Under eye circles

  • Poor sleep quality 

How Do I Know if I need Myofunctional Therapy

If the muscles of the face and mouth are not functioning appropriately, more severe symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and sleep apnea can occur in adulthood. 

Myofunctional therapy also has a profound effect on jaw and hard-palate development in children. When the tongue is resting on the floor of the mouth, the hard palate does not form correctly. If the hard palate does not form correctly, difficulties with breathing, speech and eating can occur. 

What Are the Next Steps?

If you have any of the symptoms listed above, it’s best to contact a trained professional at Holistic Speech Therapy for an evaluation. Oftentimes, other professionals (e.g. dentists, orthodontists, ENTs, etc.) are involved in the treatment process. An individualized treatment course and recommendations will be created based on assessment results.

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