It is perfectly natural to breathe through your mouth at certain times, such as when lifting a heavy load or exercising. Breathing through the mouth most of the time, however, can cause health problems.

Mouth breathing starts when we can’t get enough air through the nose, so the mouth takes over. This forces us to breathe through the mouth out of sheer necessity, and this can become a life-long habit if not corrected.

The most common causes of mouth breathing are:

• Allergies and/or food sensitivities
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• Chronic nasal congestion
• Respiratory infection
• Asthma
• Deviated septum
• Nasal polyps

The average age to begin therapy for most disorders is between ages 5 & 6. An evaluation will determine if therapy is needed and when a therapy regime should begin. There is NO age limit.

As you well know, Myofunctional therapy require a team to keep us healthy and functioning well. This team might include your primary care doctor, General Dentist, Pediatric Dentist, Periodontist, Orthodontist ,ENT, Speech Therapist and any other doctor speciality you might require.

Practicing diligently daily, is critical to the success of this exercise-based program. Being committed at home to the daily exercises can not be stressed enough in retraining the muscles for the rest of your life.

Phase One is the most critical and intensive part of the program.
Establishing a habit forming foundation to ensure the muscles are retrained with new muscle memory ensures the success of this therapy.
Appointments are scheduled weekly. Each week there are new exercises to learn and practice which reinforce the specific muscle groups and oral functions.
Phase Two emphasizes developing the new habit of retraining the muscle memory for oral function success. New exercises are introduced to reinforce awareness and habit formation. Our meetings are less often to challenge your habit formation and awareness.
Phase3 At this point, the therapy should be in a more comfortable phase. The muscle memory should be becoming second nature. We will meet on a monthly basis or as needed. I re-evaluate that awareness & habits are formed for the rest of your life.
If thumb, finger sucking or any oral sucking is involved, the therapy format is slightly different. Usually a four-week program.
If tongue-tie surgery is recommended, then the therapy format will be slightly different. Each of these situations calls for additional treatment before the start of Phase One.

Initial evaluation /consultation is 11/2h. Each appointment after that is 20-30 minutes. I conduct my therapy in office, FaceTime or SKYPE

If left untreated, habits such as tongue thrust ,thumb sucking can cause damage to the placement of teeth, development of the palatal arch, can create an abnormal tongue pattern along with a abnormal thrusting of the tongue upon swallowing, and alter both facial growth and respiratory patterns. Other types of Orofacial myofunctional disorders can cause changes in lip and tongue movements, as well as rest positions. This can lead to dental malocclusions, periodontal issues, and can even influence the growth of jaws.

There needs to be cooperation from the client and family members along with commitment to the therapy regime. Changing habits is difficult and will take time but it is obtainable. The therapy program is tailored to each client. Every effort is made to make therapy as positive, fun and concise as possible. An emphasis on long term awareness is critical to the success of the therapy program.