What is myotherapy?

myotherapy also know as Oral myology is a therapy that will help train your facial muscles, control your tongue and teach how to breathe through the nose. Correct swallowing depends on a proper relationship between muscles of the face, tongue and throat.

 

Why is this necessary?

The tongue is a very powerful muscle. When the tongue is used incorrectly it can cause a lot of damage.  A person swallows about 2000 times a day and the tongue exerts about 5 to 8 pounds of pressure. Incorrect tongue posture seems to be more common in today’s day and age, Some of the reasons may be due to:

 

    * Pollutants in the air

    * Less time spent outdoors

    * More time spent in recirculated air

    * Asthma and allergies

 

Not only will it distort teeth and cause dental problems it may also cause cosmetic problems, it can affect muscles and the jaw joint.   Swallowing incorrectly can affect your facial growth in a negative way.  for example long faces and gummy smiles as well as Speech problems.

 

What causes improper swallowing and mouth breathing?

There are several factors that may cause this. Problems within the body may cause swallowing difficulties. Mouth breathing is a major factor in all of this. There are Respiratory disorders and airway obstructions.  Examples of these are enlarged tonsil, adenoids, and allergies. Sucking habits such as thumb sucking or blanket sucking will contribute to this problem.

 

What is involved in the treatment?

Myotherapy can eliminate the causes of abnormal swallowing.  This is not an easy habit to break.  Oral myology is a painless treatment done with simple exercises.  In order to achieve success in this therapy the exercises must be done daily and consistently. These exercises will subconsciously correct the improper swallowing pattern. It also takes constant commitment by the patient, and the support of the parent and time. The length of treatment is 13 to 20 weeks.

 

    * The patient has an initial consult,

    * The patient is seen on weekly bases for 12 weeks.

    * In the 12 weeks the patient is given weekly exercises to practice at home daily.

    * When treatment is complete the patient should be more aware of the position of their tongue, they should be breathing through their nose and swallowing correctly.