symptoms & services
common indications of
orofacial un-wellness
(Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders)
mouth breathing
While mouth breathing is common during exercise and speaking, continuous mouth breathing is a habit that can cause long-term health problems.
oral habits
Prolonged oral habits include thumb-sucking, finger-sucking, nail-biting, lip-licking, lip-biting, and reliance on a bottle, hard spouted sippy cup, or pacifier.
sleep disordered breathing
Sleep disordered breathing is a term for a range of conditions during sleep, including snoring, mouth breathing, sleep apnea, and upper airway resistance syndrome.
tethered oral tissues
A tongue-tie is a condition where the tongue is being restricted by a thin band of tissue (called a frenum) to the floor of the mouth creating limited tongue mobility.
tongue thrust
Tongue thrust is a condition where the tongue thrusts forward or laterally, resulting in open bites, malocclusion, and incorrect resting position.
orofacial pain
Orofacial pain, incuding temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD), is a general term for pain in the mouth, face, jaw, head, or neck.
common indications of
orofacial
un-wellness
(Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders)
mouth breathing
While mouth breathing is common during exercise and speaking, continuous mouth breathing is a habit that can cause long-term health problems.
mouth breathing
Unfortunately mouth breathing is becoming more and more common in children and adults due to changes in our environment, diets and lifestyles. If not corrected, mouth breathing can become a lifelong habit, leading to oral and systemic health problems like sleep disordered breathing, TMJ dysfunction, sinus infections, orofacial development, poor dental health, and poor periodontal health.
oral habits
Prolonged oral habits include thumb-sucking, finger-sucking, nail-biting, lip-licking, lip-biting, and reliance on a bottle, hard spouted sippy cup, or pacifier.
oral habits
Oral habits like thumb-sucking or finger-sucking can begin in the womb and are often seen in the early years of a child’s life. If oral habits persist, they can have a negative impact on a child’s jaw shape, teeth position, tongue placement, breathing, and speech development.
sleep disordered breathing
Sleep disordered breathing is a term for a range of conditions during sleep, including snoring, mouth breathing, sleep apnea, and upper airway resistance syndrome.
sleep disordered breathing
Lack of sleep caused by sleep disordered breathing (SDB) can affect daily functions like mood, judgement, and memory. Chronic deprivation of sleep can result in serious health problems, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, and more. SDB in children has been shown to impact oral and facial development, behavior and cognitive function, and overall health.
tethered oral tissues
A tongue-tie is a condition where the tongue is being restricted by a thin band of tissue (called a frenum) to the floor of the mouth creating limited tongue mobility.
tethered oral tissues
Although present at birth, tongue-ties can often go unnoticed, resulting in negative impacts on oral development, oral function, speech, breathing, and more. When a person’s tongue is unrestricted and fully able to reach and rest in the palate, it helps with craniofacial development. If a tongue tie restriction is left untreated, it can lead to health concerns, including mouth breathing, headaches, clenching, grinding, and sleep apnea.
tongue thrust
Tongue thrust is a condition where the tongue thrusts forward or laterally, resulting in open bites, malocclusion, and incorrect resting position.
tongue thrust
Having the correct resting tongue posture is the number one goal of orofacial myofunctional therapy. A tongue at rest in the mouth produces constant, light forces that have the ability to either help or hurt the growth of the teeth, face, and jaws. Therefore, it’s crucial that these forces are being placed against the right spots. A person’s tongue should rest high in the top of their mouth, contacting the entire palate. This position provides support internally for the upper jaw and acts as a guide for the proper growth of the face, jaws, teeth, and airway. When a person’s tongue thrusts forward or laterally, it can result in open bites and malocclusion and is also preventing it from resting in the ideal position.
orofacial pain
Orofacial pain, incuding temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD), is a general term for pain in the mouth, face, jaw, head, or neck.
TMJ dysfunction / orofacial pain
Orofacial myofunctional therapy exercises have been shown to decrease jaw pain and headaches if the underlying cause is tongue- and muscle-related. The tongue helps to stabilize the jaw and relax tense jaw muscles. If the tongue isn’t functioning properly, is in the wrong position, or there’s a tongue-tie present, the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) won’t be stable and can lead to muscle compensation in the orofacial muscles.
Simple remedies such as massage, over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, and cold/warm compresses may provide short term relief, but unless the root cause is addressed, the pain may get worse over time.
our services
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy involves a series of exercises designed to improve function by assisting and educating patients in retraining their orofacial muscles and tongue. This promotes nasal breathing and works to eliminate unnecessary compensations or habits.
For more information on Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, read our Goals of Myofunctional Therapy article by Dr. Lena Holz.
A large percentage of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms are found to be muscular, or myofascial, in origin and can be improved by addressing function, eliminating parafunctional habits, and incorporating massage and myofascial release techniques.
Myofunctional therapy has been shown to help improve sleep-disordered breathing by retraining and strengthening the muscles in a patient’s mouth, face, and tongue. By working on improving tongue position and breathing habits during the day, we can train ourselves to continue these habits while sleeping as well.
Whether it be extended pacifier use, thumb-sucking, nail-biting, or any other form of parafunctional habit, oral habits can impact our orofacial growth and dental occlusion, exacerbate TMD (temporomandibular disorder) symptoms, and much more. We specialize in developing a customized treatment strategy for our patients—helping children and adults reduce and eliminate these habits.
One of our primary focuses for every patient is to optimize and promote nasal breathing, along with the many benefits attached to it. We use Buteyko breathing and other nasal breathing exercises to increase awareness for proper breathing techniques and help our patients carry healthy breathing habits into their waking and sleeping hours.
Myofunctional therapy and oral motor therapy play a vital role in the outcomes and improvements of tongue and lip tie release. We work closely with dental, medical, and lactation providers to guide our patients through every step of this process.
A lot happens prior to a child’s first dental visit. Even still, oral development and oral health care isn’t something that’s typically discussed during routine perinatal and pediatric visits. We aim to help our patients best set their child up for success from the very start: including prenatal and postnatal oral development education, awareness, and support.
Using a combination of craniosacral therapy and gentle myofascial release techniques, muscles can begin to function more efficiently and many TMD (temporomandibular disorder) and orofacial pain symptoms can be greatly reduced.
True orofacial wellness often involves a team approach. We work closely with our patients to reach the root cause of their concerns and help them achieve the best results for their specific case, including navigating referrals and collaborating with other healthcare and wellness providers along the way.
our services
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy involves a series of exercises designed to improve function by assisting and educating patients in retraining their orofacial muscles and tongue. This promotes nasal breathing and works to eliminate unnecessary compensations or habits.
For more information on Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, read our Goals of Myofunctional Therapy article by Dr. Lena Holz.
A large percentage of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms are found to be muscular, or myofascial, in origin and can be improved by addressing function, eliminating parafunctional habits, and incorporating massage and myofascial release techniques.
Myofunctional therapy has been shown to help improve sleep-disordered breathing by retraining and strengthening the muscles in a patient’s mouth, face, and tongue. By working on improving tongue position and breathing habits during the day, we can train ourselves to continue these habits while sleeping as well.
Whether it be extended pacifier use, thumb-sucking, nail-biting, or any other form of parafunctional habit, oral habits can impact our orofacial growth and dental occlusion, exacerbate TMD (temporomandibular disorder) symptoms, and much more. We specialize in developing a customized treatment strategy for our patients—helping children and adults reduce and eliminate these habits.
One of our primary focuses for every patient is to optimize and promote nasal breathing, along with the many benefits attached to it. We use Buteyko breathing and other nasal breathing exercises to increase awareness for proper breathing techniques and help our patients carry healthy breathing habits into their waking and sleeping hours.
Myofunctional therapy and oral motor therapy play a vital role in the outcomes and improvements of tongue and lip tie release. We work closely with dental, medical, and lactation providers to guide our patients through every step of this process.
A lot happens prior to a child’s first dental visit. Even still, oral development and oral health care isn’t something that’s typically discussed during routine perinatal and pediatric visits. We aim to help our patients best set their child up for success from the very start: including prenatal and postnatal oral development education, awareness, and support.
Using a combination of craniosacral therapy and gentle myofascial release techniques, muscles can begin to function more efficiently and many TMD (temporomandibular disorder) and orofacial pain symptoms can be greatly reduced.
True orofacial wellness often involves a team approach. We work closely with our patients to reach the root cause of their concerns and help them achieve the best results for their specific case, including navigating referrals and collaborating with other healthcare and wellness providers along the way.