Is your tongue contributing to orthodontic problems?
The muscles of the face, the lips, the tongue and the jaw should move in a way that supports healthy breathing, eating, speaking and swallowing. Poor muscle movements of the face and mouth are collectively known as myofunctional disorders. These disorders can contribute to changes in facial growth, orthodontic problems, speech clarity, mouth breathing, difficulty swallowing, temporomandibular joint problems and sometimes orofacial pain. Unfortunately, many of these issues go unrecognized and undiagnosed simply because of lack of awareness. We are experienced dental professionals, highly skilled in the application of home-based exercise routine which break down the movement patterns for treating myofunctional disorders. This therapy can be particularly beneficial for addressing dental open bites, a condition where the upper and lower teeth do not touch when the mouth is closed.
How Does Myofunctional Therapy help with open bites
Benefits of OMT for Open Bites:
Steps Involved in OMT:
OMT can be an effective component of a comprehensive treatment plan for dental open bites, particularly when combined with other dental or orthodontic interventions. Consulting with a qualified orofacial myofunctional therapist and a dentist or orthodontist is essential to determine the best approach for individual cases.
- We use an exercise based approach to strengthen and retrain the muscles of the face, tongue, and mouth to function properly. This can help in correcting the position of the tongue to reduce excessive force against the teeth
- We assess Breathing Patterns that can contribute to improper tongue posture and jaw development
- We teach proper swallowing techniques. Incorrect swallowing patterns, such as tongue thrusting (where the tongue pushes against the teeth during swallowing), can exacerbate open bites.
- We focus on tongue, jaw, lip, head and neck posture as it can impact the alignment and movement of the teeth and jaws.
Benefits of OMT for Open Bites:
- Non-Invasive Approach: Unlike surgical interventions, OMT is a non-invasive treatment option.
- Addresses the underlying causes and improves Oral Function, enhances overall oral function, including speech clarity and chewing.
- Adjunct to Orthodontic Treatment: Can be used alongside orthodontic treatments like braces or Invisalign to improve outcomes and prevent relapse.
Steps Involved in OMT:
- Assessment: A thorough evaluation by a trained orofacial myofunctional therapist to identify the specific issues contributing to the open bite.
- Individualized Therapy Plan: Development of a customized exercise regimen tailored to the patient's needs.
- Regular Follow-ups: Continuous monitoring and adjustment of the therapy plan based on progress.
OMT can be an effective component of a comprehensive treatment plan for dental open bites, particularly when combined with other dental or orthodontic interventions. Consulting with a qualified orofacial myofunctional therapist and a dentist or orthodontist is essential to determine the best approach for individual cases.
This program is for you if:
- You or your child has an dental open bite
- You or your child have had one or more rounds of orthodontics but you keep noticing your teeth are moving
- You or your child have been recommended a tongue-crib by your orthodontist but would like to explore other options first
dental and orthodontics
If you, your child or your dentist have noticed bite problems. Your orthodontist can address the structure and we can address the movement within that structure. Good muscle function leads to more stable results and helps to address why this problem has occurred in the first place. Bite problems can be identified from a young age. You may or may not need an orthodontist yet. You can still improve the function! In fact, the earlier you correct the function, the bigger the impact on facial growth.
For more information check out our blog: Love Your Orthodontist, Orthodontic Support, Growth Impact
For more information check out our blog: Love Your Orthodontist, Orthodontic Support, Growth Impact
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Tess NorrisOral Health Therapist
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Whats included?
We start with an initial consultation and in depth conversation around your history, your concerns and your goals. First, we assess your airway and if there are breathing problems that are the underlying cause. This is always a crucial step and one that we take very seriously. The majority of people I see, both adults and children suffer from a myofunctional disorder as a result of an airway problem. Many people that come in to my office have a history of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery and some need to look further into this. Airway problems must be properly managed because everything else comes secondary. This is also why choosing the right myofunctional therapist is essential for success. If your therapist is not trained to identify and refer for a medically compromised airway, you will fail in therapy. Breathing is life!
This second part of the consultation is assessment of the oral structures. Its interesting that we rarely see bite problems until the adult teeth start to come in and they can be a jumbled mess. Well, these problems are actually present from a young age, they can just be disguised. Proper assessment of the structures is important for planning when intervention can be done. I work with orthodontists that correct growth problems. Did you know that waiting for all the adult teeth to come through before starting treatment means that you might miss the chance to prevent these problems from getting worse. Orthodontics is a growing and evolving space. We need to think about the teeth as an illusion. Crowding indicates a growth problem. Straight teeth don't make an attractive face, an attractive face makes straight teeth. This can apply to speech too. I see many children to struggle with sounds that require the tongue to contact the palate. If the jaws are small (ie a growth problem) the it will be more difficult for the muscles to move in a smaller space. Seeing 'the right' orthodontist can make a big difference to getting enough space in the mouth for the tongue to move freely.
Next we assess the muscles of the face, jaw, lips, cheeks and tongue. We measure and assess for signs of dysfunctional breathing. This assessment provides us with enough information to target which exercises or therapy goals to implement. This is where we can also review any additional structural concerns such as a tongue tie. The lingual frenum is a normal anatomical structure under the tongue, everyone has a frenum. When this tissue is abnormally short, tight or restrictive affecting movement then referral to a skilled provider becomes part of your treatment plan. We discuss options and help guide you through this based on your individual needs. However, we address as many of the functional issues before intervention so we get more successful outcomes.
Therapy plans can then be discussed and designed once we know where you or your child are starting from. I have seen people that only need 2-3 appointments to achieve their goals. I also have people who have been working with me for six months or more. Progress depends on your motivation, dedication and application of your therapy plan. I also see people with disabilities and sometimes therapy needs to be slower and longer. If this is what you need, then I am here to design your program for you or your child to succeed. I understand life can be busy. Appointments range from 30-60minutes and are usually fortnightly or monthly. Again, this can be as flexible as you need to achieve your goals for better movement and better results.
Remember, early intervention has a bigger impact on growth with better the long term results. However, its never too late. Now is the perfect time!
This second part of the consultation is assessment of the oral structures. Its interesting that we rarely see bite problems until the adult teeth start to come in and they can be a jumbled mess. Well, these problems are actually present from a young age, they can just be disguised. Proper assessment of the structures is important for planning when intervention can be done. I work with orthodontists that correct growth problems. Did you know that waiting for all the adult teeth to come through before starting treatment means that you might miss the chance to prevent these problems from getting worse. Orthodontics is a growing and evolving space. We need to think about the teeth as an illusion. Crowding indicates a growth problem. Straight teeth don't make an attractive face, an attractive face makes straight teeth. This can apply to speech too. I see many children to struggle with sounds that require the tongue to contact the palate. If the jaws are small (ie a growth problem) the it will be more difficult for the muscles to move in a smaller space. Seeing 'the right' orthodontist can make a big difference to getting enough space in the mouth for the tongue to move freely.
Next we assess the muscles of the face, jaw, lips, cheeks and tongue. We measure and assess for signs of dysfunctional breathing. This assessment provides us with enough information to target which exercises or therapy goals to implement. This is where we can also review any additional structural concerns such as a tongue tie. The lingual frenum is a normal anatomical structure under the tongue, everyone has a frenum. When this tissue is abnormally short, tight or restrictive affecting movement then referral to a skilled provider becomes part of your treatment plan. We discuss options and help guide you through this based on your individual needs. However, we address as many of the functional issues before intervention so we get more successful outcomes.
Therapy plans can then be discussed and designed once we know where you or your child are starting from. I have seen people that only need 2-3 appointments to achieve their goals. I also have people who have been working with me for six months or more. Progress depends on your motivation, dedication and application of your therapy plan. I also see people with disabilities and sometimes therapy needs to be slower and longer. If this is what you need, then I am here to design your program for you or your child to succeed. I understand life can be busy. Appointments range from 30-60minutes and are usually fortnightly or monthly. Again, this can be as flexible as you need to achieve your goals for better movement and better results.
Remember, early intervention has a bigger impact on growth with better the long term results. However, its never too late. Now is the perfect time!
More info:
Why Every Dentist and Orthodontist Should Have an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist on Their Team
Article by Nicole Goldfarb, M.A., CCC-SLP, COM®
"This article will explore the relationship between orofacial myology and dentistry and how these specialties can work together to better benefit patients of nearly any age. The team of the dental specialist and the orofacial myofunctional therapist can play a joint role in not only resolving malocclusion, but more importantly identifying red flags for soft tissue dysfunction, airway issues, and SDB."
Article by Nicole Goldfarb, M.A., CCC-SLP, COM®
"This article will explore the relationship between orofacial myology and dentistry and how these specialties can work together to better benefit patients of nearly any age. The team of the dental specialist and the orofacial myofunctional therapist can play a joint role in not only resolving malocclusion, but more importantly identifying red flags for soft tissue dysfunction, airway issues, and SDB."
What our clients say out us:
Thank you for your guidance and for partnering us with the best orthodontic team. You made the therapy easy and relatively engaging for our son. The exercises are manageable, and we have seen so much improvement in his jaw strength and muscles. Thank you.
- Sarah
He is no longer snoring, is breathing through his nose when sleeping, and has much better quality of sleep. He is mostly waking up feeling refreshed and is feeling much happier.
- Grace
Share our story far and wide! Make other dentists, orthodontists, speech pathologists and every other relevant disciplinary aware of how beneficial these treatments can be on younger children. This is life changing
- Sarah
Not convinced?
Here is some research
This is not an exhaustive list, I have loads more
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