Have you ever thought about how many times a day we open and close our mouths, talk, chew food, and swallow? These things happen without us realizing it, right? But sometimes it's when we can't do these simple things properly that we realize the problem. Maybe you breathe through your mouth at night, or grind your teeth in your sleep. Today we're talking about a special treatment that can help with such problems.
What is Myofunctional Therapy?
Simply put, this is a type of "exercise" treatment that trains and trains the muscles in your face, such as your mouth, tongue, lips, and cheeks, to function properly, move properly, and be in the correct positions. Just like we exercise to strengthen other muscles in our body, this is a series of special exercises for the muscles of the face.
This treatment method mainly treats conditions called Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) . That is, abnormal muscle patterns in the muscles of the face and mouth. When these muscles do not work properly, some people have problems swallowing, speaking, and breathing properly.
This treatment is still being researched. That means doctors are still learning new things about what exercises are best for different conditions and how long to continue the treatment. But one thing is clear. The research done so far has proven that this treatment is very safe, with no known side effects .
What conditions can be helped by this treatment?
The main goal of this treatment is to train all parts of your mouth—your jaw, lips, teeth, and tongue—to work together as a single unit, without any interference. To this end, doctors use this treatment method to manage the following conditions:
| Problem/situation | A simple explanation |
|---|---|
| Mouth Breathing | Even after treating a blocked nose, you still can't breathe properly through your nose and end up breathing through your mouth. This can cause sleep problems and affect your overall health. |
| Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) | During sleep, the soft tissues of the head and neck press on the airway, making it difficult to breathe. This can disrupt sleep and lead to serious complications. Although many people call this 'snoring,' it is a more serious condition. |
| Open Mouth Posture | Normally, our lips should be closed when we are not talking. But some people have their mouths slightly open even when they are just talking. This can cause problems with their teeth, jaw, and tongue. |
| Tongue Thrust | This is often seen in young children. The child's tongue protrudes from between the teeth instead of being behind them. This makes it difficult to swallow food and pronounce sounds like 's', 'tha', and 'da'. It also affects the position of the teeth. |
| Teeth grinding (Bruxism) | Constantly clenching your teeth can damage your teeth, cause headaches, and jaw pain. |
| TMJ Disorders | A condition that affects the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and surrounding muscles. Over time, it can cause chronic pain and difficulty chewing. |
| Recovery after surgery | This treatment helps to improve chewing ability after jaw surgery and to improve tongue movement after lingual frenectomy. |
Who is this treatment best suited for?
This treatment is designed for school-age children (ages 4 and up), young children, and adults .
This is not suitable for small babies or toddlers. This is because it is difficult for children of that age to do this exercise, as they must understand the instructions carefully and follow them exactly.
You can talk to your doctor to decide if this treatment is right for you or your child.
What really happens in a therapy session?
This is different for everyone. Your therapist will create a specific exercise plan that is tailored to your needs. Think about it, maybe all you need to do is something simple and fun like this.
- Singing songs
- Playing a wind instrument
- Doing special breathing exercises
- Moving the tongue in different directions, raising it
- Holding a small object between the lips
How long do I need to take these treatments? Who does them?
This treatment usually lasts for 6 to 12 months . However, this period may vary depending on your condition. The therapist will tell you how many days a week and how long you should do these exercises at a time.
This treatment is provided by people who have received special training in this area. For example , speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and dental hygienists are specially trained in this area. They usually work with other specialists, such as ear, nose, and throat doctors and surgeons, to develop the best treatment plan for you.
What are the benefits of this treatment?
This treatment can provide you with many benefits, including:
- It becomes easier to breathe through your nose, chew food, and speak clearly.
- Correct lip and tongue position to support the health and correct position of the teeth.
- Helps to recover quickly after jaw surgery.
- Helping to achieve successful results from orthodontic treatment.
- Your self-confidence increases .
Research has found that this treatment is particularly beneficial for people with obstructive sleep apnea. The results are even better when these exercises are combined with other treatments, such as a CPAP machine.
Special benefits for people with OSA:
- Reduced difficulty breathing at night.
- Decreased excessive daytime sleepiness.
- The amount of oxygen the body receives increases during sleep.
- Decreased snoring .
- Some people can use it in addition to or as an alternative to a CPAP machine.
Take-Home Message
- Myofunctional Therapy is like physiotherapy for the muscles of your face and mouth.
- This can help with a variety of problems, such as mouth breathing, snoring, teeth grinding in sleep, and difficulty speaking.
- This is a very safe treatment for children over 4 years of age and adults. There are no known side effects.
- If you or your child has this problem, it's best to talk to your doctor to see if this treatment method is right for you.
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