Understanding the human mouth involves more than just teeth and gums. It’s about knowing and managing the intricate, coordinated workings of muscles, tissues, bones, and nerves. It’s with this understanding that we delve into a specialized and immensely beneficial treatment modality: Myofunctional Therapy.
Unveiling Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy is the practice of exercising the muscles of the mouth and face to rectify various irregularities, thus improving its functioning. This effective, non-invasive approach corrects the impact of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs), which create muscular imbalances and can interfere with eating, speech, and even breathing.
Understanding Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
OMDs are conditions that disrupt the standard functionality of oral and facial muscles. Research sheds light on its widespread presence, affecting up to 38% of the general population and 81% of children with speech or articulation problems. If overlooked, OMDs may cause detrimental consequences, affecting facial and skeletal growth, impacting bite alignment, influencing jaw joint movement, altering facial aesthetics, degrading oral hygiene, and even compromising the success of past or future orthodontic treatment.
Common causes of OMDs include thumb sucking, finger sucking, resting with lips apart, adopting a forward tongue resting posture, and insufficient room in the mouth due to malocclusion or airway obstructions.
How Myofunctional Therapy Corrects Bite Alignment
Myofunctional therapy is a proven method to correct bite alignment without invasive procedures. It’s a regimen of exercises primarily aimed at strengthening and coordinating the tongue, facial, and buccal muscles.
Let’s further explore how Myofunctional Therapy aids in correcting bite alignment:
Cultivating Proper Tongue Posture
One of the significant tasks in Myofunctional Therapy focuses on cultivating proper tongue posture. This implies training the tongue to rest on the roof of the mouth naturally, instead of pushing against the teeth. Over time, the habit of incorrect tongue posture can lead to bite alignment issues. Myofunctional therapy provides strategic exercise routines to correct these habits, consequently reaffirming the correct bite alignment.
Strengthening Facial Musculature
OMD sufferers often have weak or imbalanced facial and mouth muscles, which may perpetuate bite misalignments. Myofunctional therapy recommends diverse exercises to strengthen these muscles. With robust and balanced facial muscles, patients can maintain a neutral facial expression, with lips comfortably meeting – a fundamental aspect in maintaining proper bite alignment.
Fostering Nasal Breathing
Several patients with OMDs are mouth breathers. This habit can alter facial development and impact teeth alignment. Myofunctional therapy helps patients transition to nasal breathing, promoting better oral health, and correcting bite alignment.
In Practice: Myofunctional Therapy at Miami Designer Smiles
At Miami Designer Smiles, the esteemed Dr. Concepcion Sanchez-Garcia and Dr. Raul Garcia, pride themselves on delivering a comprehensive range of dental services, including Myofunctional therapy.
We aim to understand the unique needs of every patient before tailoring a custom myofunctional therapy program. Our therapy sessions, designed with expert care, focus on correcting muscular imbalances, fostering proper habits, and contributing to correcting bite alignment – all leading to improved oral health and function.
Real Stories, Real Success
Numerous patients at Miami Designer Smiles have benefitted from myofunctional therapy. Their stories are a testament to the effectiveness of this treatment, transforming lives and instilling newfound confidence within them.
Incorporating myofunctional therapy into treatment plans to correct bite alignment has amplified our ability to deliver complete oral health improvements without invasive surgeries. We pride ourselves on our ability to contribute towards a healthy, confident smile.