Myofunctional therapy is based on the theory that your body develops and moves harmoniously. Your tongue pushes against the roof of your mouth while your cheeks push inward. When you have unhealthy habits such as mouth breathing or a tongue tie, your jaw will narrow because your tongue isn’t on your palate to combat the inward forces, causing breathing and other issues.
Many people can benefit from myofunctional therapy—including adults! By relearning healthy habits, you can reduce the effects of painful orofacial dysfunctions and sleep-disordered breathing. You might need myofunctional therapy treatment if you experience the following symptoms:
- Jaw, ear, or facial pain
- Difficulty chewing and swallowing
- Headaches
- Choking or gasping for breath during sleep
- Loud snoring
- Awakening with a dry mouth
- Speech difficulties
Other signs that you may need myofunctional therapy include:
- Your tongue rests on the bottom of your mouth when closed
- The tip of your tongue rests anywhere but the roof of your mouth when swallowing
- You have a recessed chin
- Your teeth are crowded
- You breathe through your mouth most of the time
- Thumb sucking
Nasal obstruction, snoring, sleep apnea, and tongue tie are symptoms of structural issues. Precision and diagnostics enable our providers to identify and treat the root cause of sleep-disordered breathing.
If you’re interested in learning more about orofacial myofunctional therapy to improve your snoring, sleep apnea, or tongue tie, call Massa Dental Center at (239) 597-7333 or make an appointment online.
