• Myofunctional therapy teaches exercises to restore proper function and balance to the facial and chewing muscles and the tongue muscles.
• Myofunctional therapy teaches exercises to eliminate oral habits that are negatively influencing the orofacial development of bones and muscles.
• Myofunctional therapy exercises teach nasal breathing, if mouth breathing is present.

The time needed to complete myofunctional therapy varies for each individual.

Factors influencing myofunctional therapy treatment time include:

• The severity of the myofunctional disorder
• The time dedicated to practicing myofunctional exercises at home.
• The commitment to myofunctional therapy appointments

• Myofunctional therapy can begin as early as 6 years of age.
• Early intervention is beneficial as children’s facial skeletal structures are continuously developing. By age 11, 90% of the facial growth is complete.
• Myofunctional therapy in children helps to remodel growth patterns of the facial bones and develop balanced functional facial muscles, including the proper function of the tongue and lip muscles.
• Myofunctional therapy is effective in adults as well.

You are never too old for myofunctional therapy.

Myofunctional therapy has 3 phases of treatment. Each phase of treatment and the exercise involved in that particular phase must be completed successfully before moving onto the next phase.

• Phase 1 – Pretreatment conditioning
• Phase 2 – Chewing and swallowing mechanics
• Phase 3 – Integration into Lifestyle

Myofunctional Therapy exercises are done sitting at a table in front of a mirror.

Once an initial myofunctional assessment is done, myofunctional therapy can be done at home interacting with the myofunctional therapist using technologies such as Zoom, Skype and Facetime.

Myofunctional therapy uses the following materials to teach exercises:

• Mirrors
• Mouth props such as blocks
• Neon elastics
• Buttons and twine
• Discs and braided string
• Straws
• Tongue depressors
• Myo lip meter