Elevate Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy and Breath, LLC

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is exercise-based therapy for the facial muscles, tongue, and mouth. During therapy, we work on awareness, nasal breathing, proper tongue rest posture, swallowing, and lip seal. The goals of therapy are to help clients achieve the correct function of the airway and surrounding structural support. Many times this function is inhibited by a tongue tie and all clients will be evaluated for this during the initial comprehensive exam. How do you know if you need myofunctional therapy? Ideal tongue posture is for the tongue to rest on the roof of the mouth when the mouth is closed and lips are together. This may not happen for people for a few reasons. The first reason is ankyloglossia, more commonly known as a tongue tie, this is a restriction of the tongue by the facia tissue under the tongue keeping the tongue in a low-lying position. This improper tongue rest posture is linked to airway obstruction and improper development of facial structures: upper and lower jaw, mouth, and nasal airway. Another reason is mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is a condition where a person breathes through their mouth instead of their nose. It can lead to various health problems. Therapy will help you achieve nasal breathing, the proper and ideal way to breathe. Nasal breathing promotes slower, diaphragmatic, regular, and light breathing. This will benefit your health by keeping balance in the autonomic nervous system and warming and filtering the air you breathe. Most importantly, you will receive the benefit of nitric oxide which is produced in the nose and plays a critical role in cardiovascular health. Mouth breathing can be associated with poor tongue rest posture and even conditions like sleep apnea. People who mouth breathe often will also have digestive issues, postural problems, low tone in the face, and poor dental health. Sleep Apnea, is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breathing during sleep. Snoring and sleep apnea can be associated with many different factors. One big factor can be improper tongue rest posture and mouth breathing. When thoroughly evaluating an airway it is important that tonsils and adenoids are also evaluated. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids can contribute to a narrowed airway space making breathing more difficult. Working with a team of specialists to address these issues will be incorporated into your care to make sure proper function is achieved to optimize your airway. Breathing techniques such as Buteyko and strategies such as mouth taping will be incorporated into therapy. Mouth taping a technique used in orofacial myofunctional therapy where a person uses a small piece of tape to remind their lips to remain closed at night to encourage nasal breathing and improve oral muscle function. Orthodontics has always been about about straightening teeth and with new advancements orthodontists can now also incorporate function to develop a more optimal airway for better health. Orofacial myofunctional therapy is a key part of this process to achieve results. Therapy is best utilized before, during, and after an orthodontic intervention. Why? Because incorrect tongue rest posture is often what leads to the need for orthodontics in the first place! Teeth grinding and dysfunction of the jaw joint many times is associated with tongue posture, ankyloglossia (tongue tie), jaw development, snoring and sleep apnea/airway obstruction. These are all issues that can be addressed with therapy. Finally, therapy can be very beneficial for children or adults who have a thumb or finger habit. This includes nail biting, pacifier sucking, and other chewing habits (pens, etc.). These habits can be a way for someone to open their airway or stimulate the vagus nerve. If we can get proper tongue rest posture this will also open the airway and stimulate the vagus nerve. These habits can have a huge impact on the proper development of the jaw and facial structures. Orthodontics may be required to address development after the habits have been addressed with therapy. A little about your certified orofacial myofunctional therapist Monique Minnard, COMT. Monique has been in dentistry for over 16 years, starting in 2007 as a dental assistant then continuing her education to become a registered dental hygienist and orofacial myofunctional therapist. She has worked in general and pediatric dentistry. Monique is passionate about continuing her education to constantly better help her patients achieve better health. Her goal is to elevate you and your family's health through myofuncional therapy and nasal breathing!