Myofunctional Therapy
Speech Therapy > Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
What is Myofunctional Therapy?
According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association up to 50% of school-aged children suffer from oral-related speech issues known as Myofunctional Disorders like tongue-thrusting, articulation disorders, chronic open mouth breathing, and other potential speech-disrupting comorbidities, including teeth gaps, over bite, tongue-ties, airway issues and more.
Myofunctional Therapy is the process of reversing, remedying or reconfiguring oral musculature, and facial components to alleviate speech and airway disruption. This process typically involves courses of myofunctional therapy focused on re-training the posture and positioning of the mouth and the tongue of the afflicted child.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy programs can assist the retraining of your child’s developing, or developed craniofacial structures, mouth muscles, and related functions.
Our Myofunctional Therapy program is active across Ontario, and is accepting patients with no wait list. Reach out to us today to enrol your child to see a Myofunctional Therapist.
“Myofunctional Therapy is the process of reversing, remedying or reconfiguring oral musculature, and facial components to alleviate speech and airway disruption. “
Components of Myofunctional Therapy
When a child or adult begins Myofunctional Therapy, it may feel frustrating to not have immediate results. The truth is, Myofunctional Therapy is a lengthy process that must be maintained outside of hours with a clinician to ensure long-lasting change. Here's a breakdown of what Myofunctional Therapy typically involves from start to finish.
Assessment and Diagnosis -The first step of Myofunctional Therapy involves a comprehensive evaluation by a qualified therapist to diagnose any Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders. For parents and children with referrals, the primary care provider may provide the functional issues existing in you, or your child. The certified Myofunctional Therapist may confer with this diagnosis, or may provide a specific assessment and diagnosis to determine the issue as well as the root cause, and treatment options. This assessment includes examining tongue position, breathing patterns, swallowing dynamics, speech articulation, and facial muscle function.
Individualized Treatment Plan - Based on the assessment, a tailored treatment plan will be developed. This plan focuses on specific exercises and techniques to address the identified issues. The personalized plan often includes exercises for tongue placement, strengthening facial muscles, and correcting swallowing patterns.
Myofunctional Therapy Sessions with a Speech Language Pathologist- Once the tailored treatment plan has been developed, the newly diagnosed patient may need reoccurring sessions with your diagnosing clinician, or a different Therapist depending on the extent of the exercises needed. These sessions may occur up to two times a week, or more if indicated by your therapist.
Post-Therapy Exercises - When outside of therapy, and after your clinician has determined that you or your child no longer requires regularly occurring sessions, you may be instructed to continue the myofunctional exercises for anywhere from 2 weeks, up to a year after.
Myofunctional Therapy Exercises
Post-Therapy Exercises are vital to retain the progress made in individualized therapy sessions. Just like how a retainer needs to be worn after extensive dental realignment with braces, exercises will need to be done regularly, at a frequency determined by your clinician. For parents of children undergoing Myofunctional Therapy, it will be important to keep your child on a reoccurring schedule to promote proper jaw and mouth alignment. Here are
Tongue Positioning Exercises - A core element of myofunctional therapy is retraining the tongue to rest in the correct position on the alveolar ridge or against the roof of the mouth. This retraining is crucial for improving speech, reducing snoring, decreasing excess saliva and wet lips, and enhancing overall oral health and facial aesthetics. For children, tongue positioning will help ensure proper dental placement and jaw growth, and can prevent crowding, overbites and other related dental issues.
Breathing Retraining - Proper nasal breathing may need to be trained before becoming innate. For breathing training, exercises to promote diaphragmatic breathing and reduce mouth breathing may be indicated as a main or supplemental exercise to treat an Orofacial Myofunctional disorder.
Breathing Retraining - Myofunctional Therapy (MFT) may have a role in improving muscle tone and alleviating upper airway collapse in sleep-disordered breathing. Proper nasal breathing may need to be trained before becoming innate. For breathing training, exercises to promote diaphragmatic breathing and reduce mouth breathing may be indicated as a main or supplemental exercise to treat an Orofacial Myofunctional disorder.
Adult Myofunctional Therapy
While Myofunctional Disorders are most prevalent in school-aged children, without proper treatment early in life, adults can suffer from challenged breathing, speech impediments, and other myofunctional issues.
Adult Myofunctional Therapy allows adults suffering from these myofunctional disorders to remedy their cranial and muscular issues through extensive physical therapy, working alongside an Orofacial Myofunctional therapist.
Can Adults Receive Myofunctional Therapy?
Yes! Adults can receive and highly benefit from receiving Myofunctional Therapy.
Without proper treatment early in life, adults can suffer from challenged breathing, speech impediments, and other myofunctional issues.
Adult Myofunctional Therapy allows adults suffering from these myofunctional disorders to remedy their cranial and muscular issues through extensive physical therapy, working alongside an Orofacial Myofunctional therapist.
Myofunctional Therapy near me?
If you’ve been recommended Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy by you or your childs primary care provider, pediatrician, or other health care professional, determining the closest Myofunctional Therapy provider is the most important next step to take.
For residents of Ontario, our partnerships with leading affiliates can help provide you with speedy, and dedicated support.
To get in contact with a clinician, and start the process of beginning Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, reach out to us through phone, email, or our quick information form.
Our Myofunctional Therapy Affiliates
We partner with a dedicated group comprised of Ontario’s leading Orthodontists and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Center’s to provide top notch care for children seeking Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy.
From Vaughan, Brampton, to downtown Toronto, we provide care across Ontario.
