Did you know chronic congestion, fatigue, snoring, persistent bleeding gums, and even the need for orthodontic treatment can be avoided or eliminated? It doesn’t always come down to “how you were born”. Proper growth and development relies strongly on the functions and habits you develop and grow into!

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is the study and treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs). OMDs are compromised or altered functions of the muscles of the lips, tongue, cheeks and face. These functions include breathing, sucking, chewing, swallowing, and some aspects of speech. Treatment of these compromised functions can improve facial aesthetics, body posture, sleeping, eating, and jaw or facial pain.

OMDs can cause: 

• Orthodontic issues (open bites, crowing, spacing, etc) 
• Atypical chewing and swallowing leading acid reflux, ear infections, gas and open bites
• Improper facial growth (long, narrow, retruded chin, weak lips, sunken eyes) 
• Airway issues (narrow palate, deviated septums, small nasal sinuses, acid reflux, obstructive sleep apnea) 
• Jaw and facial pain
• Teeth grinding and clenching
• Dental disease (higher incidence of cavities and gum disease) 
• Bad posture (forward head posture, toe walking) 
• Speech issues (lisps) 

Tongue Thrust / Tongue Tie

Source: https://jamilian.net/en/open-bite/

Tongue thrust is characterized by the tongue pushing forward through the front (or back) teeth during swallowing, speech, and at rest, leading to muscle strain and orthodontic issues. A tongue tie is an abnormal shortness of tissue located under the tongue, limiting the tongue’s movement. It can interfere with oral development, feeding, speech, posture and head/neck/facial/shoulder pain. 

Mouth Breathing / Improper Facial Growth

Mouth breathing does not allow us the same benefits as nasal breathing.  It also leads to many negative consequences, such as: abnormal facial and dental development, dry mouth, dental disease, increased risk for behavioral and memory problems, ADHD, anxiety/panic attacks, depression, and sleep apnea. Our myofunctional and orthodontic program can help!  Dr. Mindy has outlined very good information to further explain facial growth and adjunct ways to treat issues under https://apexdentaliowa.com/jaw-and-facial-development-in-children/ and https://apexdentaliowa.com/jaw-and-facial-development-in-adults/ 

Oftentimes, muscle dysfunctions in face and lips create the need for orthodontic intervention and cause orthodontic relapse after treatment.  

Myofascial Pain / Sleep Disorders

A wider body of research is finding that there is a link between sleep disorders (sleep apnea/insomnia), bruxism (tooth grinding/clenching), jaw and facial pain, acid reflux, headaches, and migraines. Myofunctional therapists can help identify airway issues that are the root cause, and work to treat breathing issues and jaw stability and function along with a dental/medical team to optimize nasal breathing. 

Source: https://capilanochiropractic.com:443/blog/the-three-most-common-types-of-headaches-and-what-you-can-do-to-stop-them%20

• Proper resting tongue posture
• Bad habit elimination, such as mouth breathing and thumb sucking 
• Adequate lip seal at rest 
• Correct chew and swallow pattern 
• Strengthening and proper use of orofacial muscles 
• Jaw and orthodontic stability 
• Proper nasal breathing while awake and asleep 
• Proper facial development 
• Good neck and head posture 

A myofunctional therapist treats orofacial myofunctional disorders. Our in house therapist, Amy Formanek, is a licensed dental hygienist with specialized training to treat OMDs. Amy works hard to offer myofunctional treatment tailored to each patient’s individual needs, and she is one of the few professionals in Iowa, let alone the metro area!

As a whole health dental office we work in partnership with other professionals such as orthodontists, doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, chiropractors, and craniosacral therapists to ensure the patient gets complete care.