Does Your Child Have a Habit Involving Their Mouth?
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Can help
- Thumb, Finger, Lip Sucking
- Nail Biting
- Hair Chewing or Mouth Play
- Teeth Grinding or Clenching
- Lip Rubbing
- Atypical Jaw Movement
When we consistently place something in the way of the teeth and oral structures, the anatomy will slowly form around this obstruction (causing potentially permanent skeletal alterations), like a tree will form around a fence that is in its growth path.
A daily repetitive oral habit can cause chaos on your child's physical appearance, dental complications/expenses, their health, and their self confidence.
We can help them finally put a stop to it.
Join our Habit Elimination Program Today.
An Oral Habit Has Many Side-Effects
Your Child May Be Experiencing Some of These Negative Side-Effects
Open Bites, Malocclusion, Crooked Teeth38,39,41,45
Narrow Jaw41,43,44
Jaw Pain Due to Incorrect Habitual Movement Patterning19
Vaulted Palate43,44
Nasal Congestion44
Tonsil/Adenoid Infections and/or Swelling53
Long Face Syndrome: Narrow jaw and face, poorly defined cheekbones and jawlines, dark circles below the eyes, jaw set back, head positioned forward, crooked teeth, smaller airways.39,41,42,43,45
Unsymmetrical Face39,41,42,43,45
Aerophagia (Air Swallowing): Burping, bloating, flatulence/gas, acid reflux, IBS.34,49,50,51,52
Ortho Relapse: Teeth start to become crooked again after braces19
Sleep Disordered Breathing: Snoring or apnea12,44
Benefits to Eliminating an Oral Habit
Medical Benefits
Opens the Upper Airway: Oral habits tend to vault the palate, narrowing the nasal cavity, and sinuses43,44
Removes One of the Causes of Sleep Disordered Breathing12,44
Soothes a Cause of Digestive Disorders34,49,50,51,52
Diminishes the Chance of Infection: Oral, throat, stomach, and fingers53
Eases One Cause of Headaches19
Dental Benefits
Removes a Cause of Open Bites38,39,41,45
Previous, Current, or Future Braces (Ortho) Treatment Becomes More Solid and Has a Better Outcome19
Lessen Potential Jaw Pain/Discomfort19
Alleviates the Atypical Molding and Reshaping of the Jaw, Teeth, Head, and Neck Posture39,41
Physical Appearance Benefits
Reduces the Chance of Long Face Syndrome39,41,42,43,45
Helps Prevent Permanent Skeletal Alterations39,41
Eases Distorted Thumbs/Fingers in Younger Patients55
Speech Benefits
Large Step Towards Eradicating Speech Impediments56
Psychology Benefits
Builds Self-Esteem
Social Acceptance
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Capable Of?
At Oral-Facial Advantage, we guide your child's growth towards a more balanced oral-facial foundation. Aiding to prevent, or soothe the many disorders you see through-out this website.
Reflexive vs. Conscious
We chew, swallow, breathe, and rest our mouths as an un-trained reflexive habit.
The Oral-Facial Advantage Program is a personalized straightforward set of exercises, scientifically designed to build new beneficial long-term muscle-memories.
At What Age Can My Child Begin Oral-Facial Muscle Therapy?
The younger the child the more flexible their physiology, and behavior.
Mature 3 to 4 year old mouth breathers can learn nasal breathing.
Mentally prepared 5 year old's can begin the Oral Habit Elimination Program.
7 to 8+ year old's can start their Oral-Facial Advantage Program.
Who is Eligible for a Free Consult?
Everyone.
All ages can come in for a free consult.
It is a great opportunity for your questions to be answered, and for the Orofacial Myologist to assess your child's readiness for the program.
Book a Free In-Person Consultation Today
Benefits of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Eliminates habits involving the mouth
Relieves digestive discomfort
Soothes or relieves headaches
Can help reduce snoring & apnea
May reverse some ADHD symptoms
Opens upper airways
Can prevent long face syndrome
Alleviates facial pain
Improves posture & core muscle stability
Increases jaw range of motion
Facial symmetry: Tones facial muscles & tissues
Improves focus, memory, productivity
Lowers harmful stress hormones
Much more
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
The mouth, head, and neck are a complex weave of muscles, tissues, joints, bones, blood vessels, and nerves that all need to work together for a smooth, discomfort free daily function.
Currently, we are born and grow with little direction and training in this area of our bodies. We eat the way we eat, we chew on the side that is most comfortable, we swallow whichever way gets the food down, our tongues rest wherever they rest, we breathe the easier way, and we have repetitive habits that soothe our stress that can involve our faces and mouths.
All of these reflexive habits can create abnormalities in your child's oral and facial structures, and since they have been doing them throughout their youthful growth, their bones and muscles have molded around these untrained habits, potentially creating ingrained disorders in their later years.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapists specialize and only focus on the muscles and tissues throughout the tongue, jaw, face, head, and neck. Weekly exercises are given that either tone or relax these muscles and tissues aligning them to your child's center. Working from their foundation up. Progressively resetting years of habits. Most children will complete the program within the year and yet their new symmetry could last their lifetime.
A Stanford University Systematic Review revealed the lasting beneficial effects of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in a wide cohort:
“Current literature demonstrates that orofacial myofunctional therapy decreases apnea-hypopnea index by approximately 50% in adults and 62% in children. Improvements to snoring and daytime sleepiness. Shown effective in children and adults of all ages studied thus far; youngest patient 3 yrs old to 60 yrs old. Therapy has an important role in preventing relapse.”48
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