What is a myofunctional disorder and how will therapy help?
An orofacial myofunctional disorder is caused by abnormalities of the face and mouth muscles and how they function. These abnormalities can disrupt the growth and development of the oral structure and create issues with:
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breathing (e.g., open-mouth breathing)
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oral rest postures (tongue and lip positioning)
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speech/articulation (e.g., lisps, difficulties with "s", "r", and/or "l" sounds)
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chewing and swallowing (drooling, swallowing air, strong gag reflex, reflux)
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tongue thrust (open bite and orthodontic relapse)
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teeth grinding and clenching
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poor sleep quality (snoring, sleep apnea, bed-wetting, restless sleep)
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tongue-tie (pre- and post-release support)
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thumb sucking (habit elimination)
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Therapy addresses the underlying cause of your issues such as muscle strength and coordination, and habitual resting postures. The goal is to help you develop new habits to create lasting change.
Let's make myofunctional therapy work for you!
Myofunctional therapy is successfully and conveniently offered online. In today's busy world, online therapy is how clients can easily stay committed and consistent with therapy.
Here's what you can expect during a typical myofunctional therapy session:
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I will teach new exercises, and clients will have opportunities for practice and feedback
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I will measure your progress
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I will help you establish a routine for home practice exercises and provide ongoing education
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...none of which requires meeting in person and dealing with a commute!
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When working with children, sessions are fun and interactive to keep therapy motivating and engaging.
Evaluations ~ An essential part of the process
The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the structure and function of your mouth, tongue, and jaw.
Before the evaluation, I will mail you the tools as well as a list of food and beverage items we will use during the assessment.
Using the tools I sent, I will assess the oral structures of the mouth, breathing and swallowing patterns, and evaluate speech sound production in words as well as sentences.
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I will then review my findings and provide you with a detailed report and a recommended treatment plan.
Personalizing therapy to meet your goals
Therapy always begins by talking about your WHY. What do you want to accomplish in myofunctional therapy?
I will help you identify your goals which could include:
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better sleep
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better sports performance
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an orthodontic dental correction that sticks
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reduce snoring or eliminate teeth grinding for better sleep
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reduce facial and neck strain
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improve overall speech clarity
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stop noxious habits like pen chewing or thumb sucking
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Then therapy focuses on helping you achieve your WHY.
Taking a collaborative approach
Myofunctional therapy takes a team approach between me, your therapist, you or your child (the patient), and any professionals you are seeing such as a dentist or orthodontist, ENT, bodyworker, or release provider.
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If you are seeking support for a tongue tie, I will collaborate with whoever is performing the release to create a plan to maximize your success.
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I may also make referrals to other professionals as needed.
Work with a Therapist Who Specializes in myofunctional Therapy
I combine my comprehensive training, ongoing education, and personal experience to provide myofunctional therapy that is evidence-based, effective, and compassionate.
Currently accepting new clients located anywhere in Colorado or Texas. Contact me to learn how online myofunctional therapy is the convenient answer you've been looking for!