Have you ever felt like your mouth is hanging open when you're just sitting there? Or do you find that your child's speech is slurred, especially when they say the letter "s"? Maybe someone in your family snores a lot at night, or grinds their teeth in their sleep. Although we think these things are normal, the reason for these things may be that the muscles in our face and mouth are not working properly. Today we are going to talk about a special treatment that helps with such problems and retrains those muscles.
Simply put, what is Myofunctional Therapy?
This name may sound a bit complicated. But it is very simple. Just like when we have weak muscles in our arms or legs, we go for physiotherapy treatment. This is a series of special exercises that are done on the muscles in our mouth, tongue, cheeks, and lips. This is also called Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy or OMT .
The main goal of this treatment is to train the muscles in our face and mouth to move correctly and to rest in the correct position. Through these exercises, we strengthen those muscles and improve our awareness (proprioception) of our facial movements.
This treatment method is used to treat orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs).Treat conditions called. That is, problems caused by abnormal, incorrect movement patterns in the muscles around our mouth and face. These incorrect movement patterns make it difficult for us to breathe, eat, and speak. ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ñññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññña ññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññ- It can affect the way you eat and speak.
Research is still ongoing in this area. That means doctors are still learning what exercises are best for different conditions and how long to continue the treatment. But one thing is clear: OMT is very safe, with no known risks.
What conditions does this treatment help with?
The goal of OMT treatment is to get all the parts of our mouth – the jaw, lips, teeth, and tongue – to work together as a single unit, without any disruption. To do this, doctors use OMT to manage the following conditions. Let’s take a look at this table to understand this clearly.
| Problem/Condition | A simple explanation |
|---|---|
| Mouth Breathing | Even with treatment for nasal obstruction, you may still be unable to breathe adequately through your nose and end up breathing through your mouth. This can cause sleep problems and other health problems. |
| Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) | This is a breathing disorder that occurs during sleep. The soft tissues in the head and neck press on the airway, blocking breathing. This causes snoring and awakenings at night. In the long run, serious complications can occur. |
| Open Mouth Posture | Normally, when we are at rest, our lips should be closed together. But if our mouth is constantly slightly open, it can affect the position of our teeth, jaw, and tongue. In this case, the tongue rests on the bottom of the mouth, but in a healthy state, it should rest lightly on the roof of the mouth. |
| Tongue Thrust | This is most common among children. The tongue is pressed against the teeth or protruded from between the teeth when swallowing food or speaking. This makes it difficult to pronounce letters like "s, z, t, d, n". This also affects the growth of the teeth. |
| Teeth grinding (Bruxism) | Constantly clenching your teeth can damage your teeth, cause headaches, and jaw pain. |
| TMJ Disorders | Conditions that affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and the muscles around it, which work when our mouths open and close, can cause long-term pain and difficulty eating. |
| Recovery after surgery | OMT helps to improve chewing ability after jaw surgery and restore tongue movement after lingual frenectomy. |
Who is this treatment best suited for?
OMT is designed for school-age children (age 4 and up), young children, and adults. It is not suitable for infants or young children. This is because the instructions given during this treatment must be understood and followed exactly. Your doctor can tell you how much it will benefit you or your child.
What actually happens during a therapy session?
This is not an in-hospital treatment. It involves doing a series of exercises designed to strengthen the muscles in your face and mouth. Your therapist will create a customized exercise plan that is specific to your problem.
Here are some of the things you will do during a therapy session:
- Singing songs
- Playing a wind instrument, such as a flute
- Doing special breathing exercises
- Things like moving the tongue in different directions, raising and lowering it
- Holding a small object, such as a pen or button, between your lips
While these may sound simple, each of these exercises targets and strengthens a specific muscle. Some of these exercises need to be done with a therapist, while others are given as assignments for you to do on your own at home.
How long does this treatment take?
The length of time this takes will vary depending on your condition. Typically, treatment lasts between 6 and 12 months . However, this period may be shorter or longer depending on your condition. Your therapist will tell you how many days per week you should have it and how long each session should be.
Who performs this treatment?
This treatment is performed by healthcare professionals who have received special training in orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs). For example:
- Speech-language pathologists
- Occupational therapists
- Dental hygienists
These professionals are certified by internationally recognized institutions, so they are equipped with the latest knowledge in the field. OMT practitioners usually work with other specialists, such as ENT surgeons, oral surgeons, and sleep medicine specialists, to create a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs.
What are the benefits of myofunctional therapy?
You can get many benefits from this treatment method.
General benefits
- It is easier to breathe through the nose, chew food, and speak clearly.
- Correct positioning of the tongue and lips to support the alignment of the teeth.
- Helping to recover faster after jaw surgery.
- Supporting the success of orthodontic treatment, such as braces.
- Helping to determine whether speech therapy is needed for speech problems.
- Regaining self-confidence that had been lost due to these problems.
Special benefits for those with sleep apnea
Research has found that OMT therapy, when combined with other treatments, yields very good results, especially for obstructive sleep apnea.
- Decreased difficulty breathing at night.
- Decreased excessive daytime sleepiness.
- Increasing the amount of oxygen the body receives during sleep.
- Significant reduction in snoring.
- For some people, it is an alternative or additional support to using a CPAP machine.
Is there any risk in this?
No. There are no known risks or complications reported with OMT treatment. Therefore, it is a very safe treatment. If you need to know anything specific about your condition, you can ask your doctor about it.
When should you see a doctor?
Think about it: How many times a day do you swallow? Do you breathe through your nose? Do you open your mouth to speak? These things happen so often and so naturally that we don't even think about them. But it's when we can't do these simple things because of some problem that we realize how difficult it is.
If you or your child has any of the problems mentioned in this article, for example, mouth breathing, snoring, teeth grinding, or slurred speech, the best thing to do is to talk to your family doctor or a doctor about it.
If you would like to learn more about this myofunctional therapy (OMT) treatment method, or if you would like to know if it is right for you or your child, please ask your doctor about it. He or she can refer you to the right specialist or therapist.
Take-Home Message
- Myofunctional therapy (OMT) is a type of physiotherapy that treats the muscles of the face and mouth.
- This treatment can be very useful for problems such as mouth breathing, snoring at night, teeth grinding, and slurred speech in children (due to tongue thrusting).
- This is a very safe treatment method and there are no known risks.
- This treatment is suitable for children over 4 years old and adults.
- If you suspect you or your child has this type of problem, it is important to consult your doctor as a first step.
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