Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) focuses on the muscles of the face, mouth, and tongue—and how they work together every day. When these muscles function properly, they support healthy nose breathing, swallowing without thrust, speech, jaw growth, long-term dental stability and a strong airway. When they don’t, they can quietly contribute to issues like mouth breathing, tongue thrust, orthodontic relapse, airway concerns, jaw pain, and ongoing dental wear.

A comprehensive myofunctional therapy program helps retrain these muscles to work in harmony. Therapy is built around targeted exercises that change tongue posture, increase nose breathing, and strengthen airways. These changes help reduce strain on the teeth and jaws and support the dental and orthodontic work already in place.

Just as daily brushing and flossing protect your teeth, simple exercises completed at home reinforce what’s learned in sessions and help create lasting change. With guidance and accountability, these new habits can make a meaningful difference in comfort, function, focus, growth and sleep.

Myofunctional therapy looks beyond the teeth. Breathing, posture, oral habits, and even diet can influence muscle function and facial development. Addressing these factors early can help prevent minor functional issues from becoming more complex problems later on.

Who Benefits from Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?

Orofacial myofunctional therapy benefits children, teens and adults, including individuals who:

• Breathe through their mouth or struggle with nose breathing
• Have airway, sleep, or breathing concerns
• Are preparing for or currently in orthodontic treatment
• Have experienced orthodontic relapse after braces or aligners
• Have a tongue thrust or incorrect swallowing pattern
• Have obstructive sleep disordered breathing (oSDB) or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) concerns
• Have speech concerns related to tongue or lip posture
• Experience jaw tension, facial pain, or TMJ-related symptoms
• Have oral habits such as thumb sucking, prolonged pacifier use, or nail biting
• Are undergoing or have undergone frenectomy (tongue-tie or lip-tie release)

Early intervention can support proper growth and development in children, while adults often experience improvements in comfort, stability, and airway strength.

A Collaborative Approach to Care

Orofacial myofunctional therapy works best as part of a collaborative dental team. By partnering closely with dentists, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, oral surgeons, ENTs, and other dental specialists, myofunctional therapy helps protect dental investments, enhance treatment outcomes, and support stable, functional results that last.