Myofunctional Care – Toronto
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is an individualized exercise program for the tongue, lips, 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 teeth alignment.
What does Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy address?
- Mouth breathing
- Open mouth posture
- Improper tongue resting posture
- Incorrect swallowing patterns
- Tongue thrust
- Anterior open bite
- Oral habits: thumb and tongue sucking, extended use of a pacifier, nail and cuticle biting
- Oral ties: tongue tie, buccal tie
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 nasal breathing.
- Assist the tongue in achieving the 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, which may help with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring.
- Guide the teeth and jaws during growth and development.
- Facilitate the in-progress and retention phases of orthodontic treatment.
- Eliminate improper oral habits/sucking habits, thus improving the facial growth pattern.
- Reduce periodontal inflammation due to mouth breathing and tongue thrusting.
- Correct a short upper lip and lip incompetence associated with mouth breathing and/or sucking habits, thus offering protection and guidance for the teeth and ensuring a correct lip seal.
- More about Myofunctional Therapy can be accessed at: http://www.iaom.com/OMDisorders.html
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: http://www.myobrace.com/
