What Is Myofunctional Therapy? (And Why Your Dentist Recommended It) Myofunctional Therapy in Brantford, Ontario | Airway-Focused Oral Health Care
- Feb 13
- 4 min read
Many patients are surprised when their dentist, orthodontist, or hygienist recommends myofunctional therapy.
The usual response is: “I’ve never heard of that before… what is it?”
That’s completely normal. Myofunctional therapy is still relatively unknown to the public — yet it often addresses the underlying cause of many dental, orthodontic, breathing, and sleep concerns.
It is not just about teeth. It's bout how the mouth, tongue, muscles, and airway function together.
What Is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy (also called orofacial myofunctional therapy) is a specialized therapy that retrains the muscles of the:
Tongue
Lips
Cheeks
Jaw
Breathing pattern
Swallowing pattern
These muscles control how we breathe, chew, swallow, speak, and even how the face and jaws grow.
When these muscles are not working properly — called an orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD) — the body adapts in ways that can affect dental development, sleep quality, and long-term health.
Myofunctional therapy uses simple, targeted exercises (similar to physiotherapy for the mouth) to teach proper:
✔ Tongue posture✔ Nasal breathing✔ Lip seal✔ Swallowing patterns✔ Oral muscle coordination
Why Would a Dentist Recommend Myofunctional Therapy?
Dentists are often the first healthcare providers to notice signs of an airway or muscle-function problem.
They may see:
Crowded teeth
A narrow palate
Open bite
Tongue thrust
Chronic mouth breathing
Teeth grinding
Orthodontic relapse
Braces can straighten teeth — but they cannot correct the muscle habits that caused the problem in the first place.
If the tongue rests low, pushes against the teeth, or the child breathes through their mouth, the teeth are constantly being moved out of alignment.
This is why your dentist may recommend myofunctional therapy: to help create stable, long-term orthodontic results and healthier development.
What Problems Can Myofunctional Therapy Help?
Myofunctional therapy in Brantford can help both children and adults.
In Children
Mouth breathing
Snoring or noisy sleep
Restless sleep
Bedwetting
Crowded teeth
Thumb sucking habits
Speech difficulties
ADHD-like behaviour
Dark circles under eyes
Enlarged tonsils/adenoids
In Adults
Teeth clenching or grinding
TMJ pain
Headaches
Orthodontic relapse
Poor sleep quality
Snoring
Forward head posture
Difficulty swallowing pills
Chronic fatigue
Many of these symptoms are connected to airway and breathing patterns, not just dental alignment.
The Airway Connection
One of the most important reasons myofunctional therapy is growing quickly in dentistry is its
connection to airway health.
Healthy development requires nasal breathing.
When the tongue rests on the roof of the mouth, it:
Helps widen the upper jaw
Supports the nasal airway
Encourages proper facial growth
Improves oxygen intake during sleep
When the tongue rests low in the mouth:
The palate grows narrow
The airway becomes smaller
Mouth breathing develops
Sleep quality decreases
Children who mouth breathe often are not lazy or inattentive — they may simply be sleep-deprived due to poor breathing.
What Happens During Myofunctional Therapy?
At the Brantford Myofunctional Therapy Clinic, therapy is gentle, educational, and personalized.
The Assessment Includes:
Breathing evaluation (nasal vs mouth breathing)
Tongue posture check
Tongue mobility screening (tongue-tie assessment)
Swallow pattern evaluation
Lip strength and posture
Airway symptom screening
Therapy Sessions
Patients learn specific exercises designed to:
Train the tongue to rest on the palate
Strengthen lip seal
Establish nasal breathing
Correct swallowing patterns
Improve oral muscle coordination
Therapy can be completed in-person or virtually, making it accessible for families with busy schedules.
Is Myofunctional Therapy Only for Kids?
No — adults benefit greatly as well.
Many adults discover myofunctional therapy after:
Braces relapse
Chronic clenching
TMJ discomfort
Poor sleep
Snoring/Sleep Apnea symptoms
Because muscle patterns never disappear on their own, correcting them can improve comfort, breathing, and oral stability at any age.
Why Early Treatment Matters
In children especially, muscle habits help shape the face and jaws during growth.
Addressing oral habits early may:
Reduce severity of orthodontic treatment
Improve sleep quality
Support better concentration at school
Encourage proper facial development
Promote nasal breathing
We are not just treating teeth — we are guiding development.
How Do I Know If My Child Needs Myofunctional Therapy?
Consider an evaluation if your child:
Sleeps with their mouth open
Snores
Grinds their teeth
Has crowded teeth early
Always has dry lips
Has frequent cavities despite good brushing
Seems tired during the day or has ADHD behaviour, lack of attention
Disrupted sleep
These are often breathing and muscle-pattern signs, not simply dental issues.
Book an Assessment in Brantford
Myofunctional therapy helps address the root cause — not just the symptom.
By improving how the tongue rests, how we breathe, and how we swallow, we support:
Dental development
Orthodontic stability
Airway health
Better sleep
To learn more or request an assessment:
Myofunctional therapy focuses on function first — because healthy breathing and muscle patterns create healthy smiles.
Medical and Dental References
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). Policy on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry. Chicago, IL: AAPD.
Guilleminault, C., Huang, Y., Monteyrol, P., Sato, R., & Quo, S. (2013). Critical role of myofascial reeducation in pediatric sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep Medicine, 14(6), 518–525.
Villa, M. P., Evangelisti, M., Martella, S., Barreto, M., Del Pozzo, M., & Pagani, J. (2015). Can myofunctional therapy increase tongue tone and reduce symptoms in children with sleep-disordered breathing? Sleep and Breathing, 19, 1219–1226.
Zaghi, S., Valcu-PInkerton, S., Jabara, M., Norouz-Knutsen, L., Govardhan, C., Moeller, J., Sinkus, V., & Guilleminault, C. (2019). Lingual frenuloplasty with myofunctional therapy: Exploring safety and efficacy in obstructive sleep apnea. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 15(4), 1–9.
American Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AAOMT). Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders: Information for Healthcare Professionals. www.aaomt.org
Harari, D., Redlich, M., Miri, S., Hamud, T., & Gross, M. (2010). The effect of mouth breathing versus nasal breathing on dentofacial and craniofacial development in orthodontic patients. Laryngoscope, 120(10), 2089–2093.
Souki, B. Q., Lopes, P. B., Pereira, T. B., Franco, L. P., Becker, H. M., & Pinto, J. A. (2009). Mouth breathing children and cephalometric patterns. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 73(5), 767–771.
Huang, Y. S., & Guilleminault, C. (2013). Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and the critical role of oral-facial growth. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 17(5), 411–418.
Marchesan, I. Q. (2012). Orofacial myofunctional therapy: Why and when to treat. International Journal of Orofacial Myology, 38, 5–12.
Stanford Children’s Health. Mouth Breathing in Children and Sleep-Disordered Breathing. Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.
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