What the Heck is Myofunctional Therapy?

“That is so lit, Mom!” I recently heard from my teenage son. “Lit?” I replied, having NO idea what he meant. “You know, like awesome, exciting.” No, I didn’t know. The ensuing conversation revealed what other words I don’t know and how I needed to “get with the times.” “Do you know the meaning of all the words adults use… like myofunctional therapy?” I asked. Eye-roll.  “Mom, even adults don’t know what that is!” he retorted. He has a valid point. Sometimes referred to as orofacial myofunctional therapists (OMT), orofacial myologists (OM) or simply myofunctional therapists (MFT), the truth is that we just want to make that complicated mouthful-of-a-title a familiar household term and educate people about the benefits of this exciting therapy! To break it down:

*Oro=oral or mouth                                            *Facial=face

*Myo=muscle                                                     *Functional=works as it should.

Most people seem to relate to the description of myofunctional therapy as physical therapy from the neck up in order to train the muscles of the tongue, cheeks, lips and throat to function properly, and you’d be surprised how often they don’t!

How Do I Know if I Need Myofunctional Therapy?

Start by taking my FREE online assessment here to help determine if you or your child may need myofunctional therapy. Folks I talk to are often surprised to find out that myofunctional therapy can help address many of the conditions at the root of some of the common symptoms they experience such as snoring, sleep apnea, mouth breathing, speech problems, jaw pain, orthodontic relapse, tongue thrust, reflux, ADHD, bed-wetting, depression, night terrors and night sweats, to name a few. Yes, I said symptoms, as like a fever is to the flu or abdominal pain is to appendicitis…or obstructive sleep apnea is to a tongue tie…what?? They say a picture is often worth a thousand words:

How Can Myofunctional Therapy Help?

As you can see, most of these symptoms go way deeper than you probably imagined, and often lead to costly health and dental problems down the road. The temptation to ignore the problem or remedy it with a quick fix is often like putting a bucket under a leaking pipe-the cost to fix the damage done is often far more costly than fixing the leaking pipe in the first place. The good news is that myofunctional therapy is a natural, proven therapy that can help save you money down the road by addressing the root of many of these problems and helping you to learn four crucial oral habits that make all the difference. We are part of an important team of providers including your doctor, orthodontist, dentist and other health professionals who are committed to helping you achieve life-long health. Click here to schedule your FREE 30-minute consult to learn how myofunctional therapy can benefit you. Now that’s lit!