Myofunctional Care | Toronto
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is an individualized exercise program for the tongue, lip and masticatory muscles as they relate to speech, dentition, chewing, swallowing, breathing and overall mental and physical health.
This type of therapy can facilitate proper facial growth and development as well as teeth alignment.
Myofunctional Therapy is considered a "Green therapy" based on the belief that the tongue is a natural expander of the palate and the lips are the natural retainer of the tooth alignment.
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy addressing?
- Mouth breathing
- Open mouth posture
- Improper tongue rest posture
- Incorrect swallowing patterns
- Tongue thrust
- Anterior open bite
- Oral habits: thumb and tongue sucking, extended use of pacifier,nails and cuticles bitting.
- Oral ties- tongue tie,buccal ties.
Did you know...?
MOUTH BREATHING creates soft tissue dysfunction further causing aberrant facial growth, malocclusion and even orthodontic relapse.
Orofacial Myofunctional therapy is an invaluable tool in conjunction with orthodontic guidance with the awareness that function dictates shape and muscles always win over bone.
Myofunctional therapy can help:
- Train nose breathing.
- Assist tongue achieving correct rest posture, thus allowing the roof of the mouth to be physiologically remodeled to create a better bite;
- Correct tongue resting position and nasal breathing may help with Obstructed Sleep Apnea/OSA and snoring
- Guide the teeth and jaws during growth and development
- Facilitating in- progress and retention phase of the Orthodontic treatment.
- Eliminate improper oral habits/sucking habits –thus improving facial growth pattern
- Reduce periodontal inflammation due to mouth breathing and tongue thrusting
- Correct short upper lip and lip incompetence associated with mouth-breathing and/or sucking habit-thus offering protection and guidance of the teeth/correct lip seal
- More about Myofunctional can be accessed at: http://www.iaom.com/OMDisorders.html
The Myofunctional therapy can be conducted with myofunctional exercises alone or in conjunction with different types of very versatile and easy to wear Trainers- part of the Myobrace system (MRC).
More about MRC trainers can be accessed at: