Braces and aligners are awesome … they move teeth into place like little architectural miracles. But what if we told you there’s a secret sidekick to orthodontic treatment that makes your results even better, healthier, and longer lasting? Enter: Myofunctional Therapy! The fitness class your face didn’t know it needed! Think of it like physical therapy for your mouth. Myofunctional therapy focuses on retraining the muscles used for breathing, swallowing, chewing, and speaking focusing especially on your tongue. Why does that matter during orthodontics? Because if your muscles are working against your braces or aligners, it’s like trying to fix a crooked fence in a hurricane.
Here’s why this therapy is such a powerful partner to orthodontics:
- Tongue Position = Tooth Position: If your tongue rests low or pushes forward (hello, tongue thrust!), it can cause relapse even after the braces come off. Myofunctional therapy helps your tongue chill in the correct place.
- Better Breathing = Better Health: Many kids and adults in orthodontic treatment breathe through their mouths without even realizing it. Myofunctional therapy promotes nasal breathing, which supports jaw development, better sleep, and even improved posture. BONUS: it helps you keep that new smile wide and bright!
- Stable Results that Stick: Orthodontic treatment moves teeth, but if habits like thumb sucking, lip biting, or reverse swallowing aren’t corrected, teeth may shift right back. Therapy helps stop those habits before they undo all your hard work.
- Faster, Smarter Treatment: When your muscles cooperate with your appliances, treatment can often go smoother and sometimes even quicker. Who doesn’t want to reach the finish line faster?
So whether you’re just starting your orthodontic journey or you’re deep in the middle of it, don’t underestimate the power of a well-trained tongue and strong oral muscles. With myofunctional therapy in your corner, your smile won’t just look good, it’ll function like a dream!
Let’s train those muscles and make that smile built to last.