What Exactly is Myofunctional Therapy?

The signs and symptoms of early developmental issues are something we have specialized training to recognize and treat.  With our training, we can easily see the early signs of underdeveloped faces and jaws to catch problems before they have a chance to develop expensive, painful and unhealthy, sometimes even life-threatening issues in adults.  Not every dental office has a full staff who is proactive in noticing and treating developmental issues.

Scientific evidence reveals that the one-third of our lives spent sleeping profoundly affects the two-thirds we spend awake. It is also becoming more evident that poor daytime habits such as mouth breathing, can lead to disordered sleep. Some symptoms of poor breathing while sleeping are snoring, headaches, teeth grinding, mood swings, difficulty with concentration, under developed jaws and crooked teeth. Additional concerns that may emerge include decreased cognitive development, behavioral issues and ADHD-like symptoms in children.

Sleep disordered breathing typically occurs when air flowing through the nose or mouth is obstructed during sleep. Airflow obstruction is often attributed to poor muscle tone and relaxation. Other common causes are chronic mouth breathing, obesity, and poor jaw development.

Because our daytime habits such as mouth breathing can have such serious consequences, it’s best to address the issue as soon as possible. Studies show that by working hard to change bad habits, improvements can be seen in allergy symptoms, behavior and concentration, stamina and in sleep. Many times a patient or their parent does not realize that they have improper oral habits or that some of these symptoms are related. A skilled partner in health is necessary to elicit change.

Age 4-9 is ideal for Myofunctional Therapy treatment. Studies show that by age 4, 60% of craniofacial development is complete. 90% is complete by age 9. By around age 18, the jaw has finished developing.

Myofunctional therapy uses neuromuscular repatterning to create new habits in breathing and swallowing and even how our muscles function at rest. When muscle movement is in harmony, proper jaw development is permitted, which creates plenty of space for our teeth. When our modern soft diets collide with other damaging environmental factors, we see compensations that can lead to not only crooked teeth, but future negative health consequences such as temporomandibular joint disorders and obstructive sleep apnea.  

Our dental office in Wichita is very pleased to offer this holistic approach to care by treating orofacial myofunctional disorders naturally. Pre orthodontic treatment focuses on addressing the underlying causes of malocclusion without the use of metal braces or expanders. 

before treatment

After Treatment

Does your child experience any of the following?

☐ Crooked or crowded teeth

☐ Restless sleep or frequently wake during the night

☐ Difficulty falling asleep or waking in the morning

☐ Breathing through the mouth during the day

☐ Mouth breathing at night when asleep

☐ Bedwetting or night terrors

☐ Aggressive behavior

☐ Swollen adenoids and tonsils

☐ Hyperactivity/ irritability

☐ Hard time sitting still

☐ Difficulty concentrating in school or following instructions

☐ Snore- even a little

☐ Grind their teeth at night

☐ Have dark circles under the eyes

☐ Chronic or seasonal allergies

Dalanna Hanson

Before and After 4 months of treatment

Call (316) 444-4109 today to set up a free consultation at our East Wichita dental office.

 

Phone 316-440-9700
Hours M. T. TH. 7-4 | F. 7-1
10111 EAST 21ST STREET NORTH . Suite 102 . Wichita . KS 67206