Myofunctional Therapy – Glenpool, OK

Promoting Harmonious Oral Function

Why Choose Glenpool Braces for Myofunctional Therapy?

Highly Trained Dentist
May Prevent the Need for Braces
Promotes Overall Health

Healthy mom and daughter thanks to myofunctional therapy in Glenpool

Your tongue, teeth, facial muscles, and other nearby structures should all work harmoniously together. If they do not, the results can negatively affect facial appearance, upper airway function, dental health, pronunciation, and more. Orthodontic treatment, such as braces or clear aligners, can play a role in correcting these issues. Often, however, myofunctional therapy is also critically important. Continue reading below to learn what myofunctional therapy in Glenpool is and how it may be able to help you or your child.

What Is Myofunctional Therapy?

Young boy relaxing on couch, using myofunctional therapy appliance

Myofunctional therapy aims to retrain the oral and facial muscles to work properly. It often involves the use of exercises and special appliances that promote proper swallowing techniques and help the tongue to rest in the correct position. You can think of it sort of like physical therapy for your face and mouth.

The need for myofunctional therapy may arise due to anatomical variations — for example, tongue tie often leads to the need for it — or it can become necessary if long-established habits interfere with how the oral and facial muscles should be functioning. Such habits include thumb sucking and mouth breathing.

Indications for Myofunctional Therapy

Girl sucking her thumb, may need myofunctional therapy

Some indications that myofunctional therapy might be necessary include:

A person suffered from tongue tie, which resulted in their tongue resting too far forward in the mouth.
Bad habits, such as prolonged thumb sucking or mouth breathing, have adversely affected a person’s oral or facial muscles.
A person has an aversion to certain textures of foods, finds it difficult to pronounce words clearly, or suffers from disordered breathing during sleep (for example, sleep apnea is common in individuals with myofunctional problems).
An individual has a narrow jaw, misplaced teeth, or other anatomical variations that have an effect on myofunctional harmony.

Myofunctional therapy can be used to help patients of virtually all ages, from small toddlers to seasoned adults.

What to Expect with Myofunctional Therapy

Family with healthy smiles thanks to myofunctional therapy

Myofunctional therapy starts with a consultation. Dr. Gregory will assess the positioning of your oral structures, ask you some questions about your habits, and determine your best next steps. Often, she calls on the Myobrace system to treat children. Myobrace uses removable oral appliances to promote proper development of the teeth and jaws. It also includes a series of exercises and educational videos to set children up for a lifetime of healthy smiles. Myobrace is also suitable for adults in some cases. This remarkable treatment is often able to prevent the need for orthodontics in Glenpool, especially in young children.

If Myobrace may not be right for you, Dr. Gregory will help you explore other options for achieving myofunctional harmony. Whatever type of myofunctional therapy you undergo, you can expect to begin noticing significant results within months of starting your treatment.

Would you like to learn more about myofunctional therapy? Contact us today. Our team is ready to answer your questions!