What is Myofunctional Dentistry?

Myofunctional dentistry is often referred to as physical therapy for the mouth. By training the muscles of your face and mouth to move in certain ways, you can see improvement in speech, eating, and breathing.

How Does Myofunctional Dentistry Work?

Myofunctional dentistry, or orofacial myofunctional therapy, utilizes different physical exercises that train specific muscles associated with eating, swallowing, breathing, and speaking. Exercises like tongue touches, tongue presses, teeth touches, uvula raises, and balloon inflation are just some of the many movements that can help improve certain conditions. Myofunctional dentistry is a safe, noninvasive approach that can benefit people of all ages.

What Can Myofunctional Dentistry Improve?

Myofunctional therapy, when under the supervision of a trained myofunctional dentist, can help improve the following conditions:

• Mouth Breathing: This is often a sign you are not getting enough air in your nose and can lead to sleep issues.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: This kind of sleep apnea happens when tissues in your body press on your windpipe, leading to problematic sleep problems.
• Tongue Thrust: This is when the tongue pushes against the or between teeth. It often occurs in children and can affect the way they pronounce sounds like s, z, t, d, and n.
• TMJ Disorder: TMJ affects the muscles around your jaw and can cause trouble chewing, pain, and more.
• Jaw Clenching and Teeth Grinding: These two issues can cause headaches and damage to your teeth.
• And more

Some of these issues can be addressed in other ways, such as surgery, by myofunctional dentistry can provide a noninvasive, effective, safe, and cost-effective option for tackling these issues and improve your daily life.

Myofunctional Dentistry in St. Louis Park

All Care Dentistry is proud to offer myofunctional dentistry to our patients. If you are struggling with pain, difficulty swallowing, breathing, or speaking, contact us today to get started. Our priority is improving your everyday life and making sure you are comfortable and pain-free.