What is Orofacial Myology?
Most people are familiar with braces or physical therapy, but not with myofunctional therapy.
Think of myofunctional therapy as “physical therapy” for the muscles of your face, tongue, and mouth. It uses specific exercises and habits training to help those muscles work the way they were designed to, especially for breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speaking.
Every time you breathe, swallow, speak, or rest your mouth, a whole team of muscles is working together. If those muscles are weak, uncoordinated, or in the wrong position, you can develop what we call orofacial myofunctional disorders—things like mouth breathing, tongue thrust, low tongue posture, or incorrect swallowing patterns.
These patterns can affect:
- How you breathe, especially at night
- How your teeth and jaws grow and line up
- Your facial balance and appearance
- Your speech and chewing
- Your risk of issues like TMJ discomfort, tooth wear, or even sleep apnea symptoms
