Pain Clinic

How Orofacial Myology Can Soothe Your Patient's Pain

You See the Damage Orofacial Muscle Dysfunctions Can Cause Every Day

Do Your Patients Have Any of these symptoms?

  • Chronic digestive discomforts (aerophagia): bloating, burping, flatulence, abdominal distension, some forms of IBS and acid reflux.

  • Chronic headaches

  • Scar tissue in the oral-facial region that is causing discomfort or strained range of motion

  • Sleep disordered breathing (snoring or apnea diagnosis)

  • Overnight dry mouth with or without medications

  • Memory troubles, brain fog, decreased productivity.

  • Mouth breathing or lips resting open.

  • Breathing difficulties, asthma

  • Non-nutritrive daily oral habit.

  • Unexplained facial, jaw, neck or upper back pain

  • Slow to heal

  • Asymmetrical facial features

  • Sinus infections

  • These are all side-effects of detrimental habits which can be improved

Orofacial disorders can cause a domino effect of discomforts and potentially painful chronic disorders throughout your patient's body. Collaborating between our two professions can improve your patient's health. 

The Oral-Facial Advantage Program helps to soothe head/neck discomforts, potentially finds the root of frequent headaches, opens your patient's upper airway, improves their breathing, sleeping, facial symmetry, increases endurance, focus, memory, enhances speech, eases digestive discomforts, and eliminates oral habits... 
Plus much more.

Oral-Facial Advantage Program Description


It begins by eliminating any noxious oral habits that can be detrimental to the treatment and long term success of the program. 


Once eliminated, we train a neutral oral resting posture which tones and/or relaxes the muscles and tissues of the tongue, throat, jaw, face, head, and neck. 


This sets the patient up to have the correct toning and positioning for the deglutition program. They begin with the swallowing of water, then soft, medium, hard, and mixed foods. From snacks to main meals, until the corrected practice is naturally a part of their daily life. 


Throughout the program their sleep disordered breathing pattern is being reset. Their upper airway is being toned from all angles, they have a new beneficial oral resting posture, and the re-trained swallow pattern is being repeated throughout the night. Locking in muscle memory for long-term oral-facial comfort. 


The Oral-Facial Advantage Program re-trains deeply ingrained detrimental oral and facial habits with new beneficial ones. The Orofacial Myologist uses easy to-do, scientifically designed muscle/tissue exercises, personalized to the individual's orofacial disorder.


Let us work together, igniting a myriad of health advantages in the short and long-term. 

Some Of The Orofacial Dysfunctions We Re-Train

Upper Chest Breathing

Spinal Strain

Can contribute to back and neck pain because incorrect muscles are being used. This makes deep calm breathing more difficult.39
The proper use of the diaphragm strengthens the stability of the spine and core1

Mouth Breathing

Postural Problems

Mouth breathers tend to assume a characteristic posture in order to make their breathing easier. This entails carrying their heads forward in order to compensate for the restriction to their airways.20
The forward head posture often leads to: Muscle fatigue, neck pain, tension in the TMJ area, spinal disc compression, early arthritis, tension headaches, and dental occlusal problems.21

Mouth Breathing

Snoring & Apnea

"Plenty of snorers have weak jaw muscles or excess weight on their chins that pulls the mouth open whilst they sleep. This causes a troublesome switch to mouth breathing. Studies have shown that your airway is narrower and more elongated when you breathe through your mouth, making vibrations more likely."46
"Researchers have found that doing repetitive oropharyngeal exercises while you’re awake can help keep the tissue from becoming excessively floppy and vibrating during sleep. Several studies have shown that toning these muscles has been shown to help reduce snoring and milder forms of obstructive sleep apne."54,55

Mouth Breathing

Causes Long Face Syndrome11,16,19,23

Crooked Teeth

Narrow Jaw & Face

Poorly Defined Cheekbones

Jaw Set Back/Malocclusion

Underdeveloped Upper/Nasal Airway (may experience more sinus infections & pressure)
Poorer Quality of Life8,9,10

Caries/Perio/Xerostomia

Dries out our bodies and mouths 42% more than nasal breathing, contributes to dehydration22

Causes cavities and gum disease23

Sleep Disordered Breathing further exasperates Xerostomia12

"If mouth breathing is treated early, its negative effects on facial and dental development, along with medical and social problems associated with it, can be reduced or averted"16

Damaging Oral Resting Postures

"Even without oral airflow, when the mouth is open, scientists have shown that the upper airway is more likely to collapse. Conversely, nose breathing with correct tongue resting posture during sleep improves airway diameter, engages the diaphragm56 and increases lung volume. This causes the airway wall to stiffen and helps the upper airways to stay open."57

The tongue from the tip to the posterior needs to be toned to rest in the palate. Most tongues are untrained/untoned, which can cause snoring and apnea.35,36

Narrow Jaw & Palate, Crooked/Crowded Teeth

Soft Foods = Shrinking Jaws

Stanford University Article, Shrinking Jaws:36

"The shrinking of the human jaw in modern humans is not due to genetics but is a lifestyle disease that can be proactively addressed, according to Stanford researchers."
"One obvious factor is the softening of diets, especially with the relatively recent invention of processed foods. Also, less chewing is needed nowadays to extract adequate nutrition..."
"The proper development of the jaw and its associated soft tissues is guided by oral posture – the positioning of the jaws and the tongue during times when children are not eating or speaking. This positioning is especially important overnight during long sleep stretches, when swallowing maintains the correct, gentle pressures."

Tongue Thrust During Atypical Swallowing

Even an untoned tongue is made of 8 strong muscles. The tongue resting incorrectly puts considerable pressure against oral structures. These structures don't have the strength to resist causing bone loss around the teeth and tooth mobility (one cause of periodontal disease).17,18,19

Bone loss around specific teeth17,18
Tooth mobility17,18
Open bites17,18

Aerophagia Definition: The swallowing of air, whether accidentally, or as an involuntary habit.52

Produces Uncomfortable Gastrointestinal Symptoms:34,49,50,51

Abdominal Distension

Bloating

Belching

Flatulence

Some Types of Acid Reflux & IBS

Sleep Disordered Breathing (Snoring/Apnea)12

Depression6

ADHD11,13,14,15

Memory Loss8,16

Mental Confusion16

High Blood Sugar Levels3

Deprives Body of Needed Oxygen Levels24

Linked to Fatty Liver Disease4

Decreased Growth Hormone Levels31,32,33

Asthma Symptoms & Increased Risk of Asthma Complications5

Abnormal Cholesterol2

Ankyloglossia (Tongue-Tied)

A condition where the tongue has a varying degree of restriction (a reduced range of motion). This prevents the tongue from reaching proper positioning during eating, swallowing, breathing, sleeping, and speaking, causing the muscles and tissues in the head and neck region to over-compensate. This has many side-effects.25,26,27,28,29,30 
Ankyloglossia can also cause the upper airway to narrow, potentially creating sleep disordered breathing.58

Repetitive Non-Nutritive Oral Habits

Habits: Sucking thumb, finger, lips, or biting nails, cheeks, tongue, hair...etc.

Open Bites, Malocclusion, Crooked Teeth38,39,41,45

Narrow Jaw41,43,44

Vaulted Palate43,44

Tonsil/Adenoid infections/swelling53

Long Face Syndrome39,41,42,43,45

Ortho Relapse19

Sleep Disordered Breathing12

Asymmetrical Face39,41,42,43,45

When we consistently place something in the way of the oral structures and jaw, the anatomy will slowly form around this obstruction.39,41 Like a tree will form around a fence that is in its growth path. 
Formula: frequency + intensity + duration = negative dental and oral changes53
Placing the jaw in a repetitive incorrect position can cause severe muscle/tissue/joint strain.19

The Oral-Facial Advantage Program

Most programs last approximately 1 year.

Patients are seen weekly and assigned exercises that tone or relax the muscles in their head/neck region specific to their disorder.

You will be updated throughout their treatment progress.

At What Age Can Patients Begin Oral-Facial Muscle Therapy?

All ages.

The biggest impact can be made with children since their oral-facial structure and behavior is in a more flexible stage of growth. As adults, our muscles and tissues can be toned and relaxed where needed, making a large impact on how we age and the quality of life into our senior years. Make a difference in your health at any age.


Mature 3 to 4 year old mouth breathers can learn nasal breathing.

A mentally prepared 5 year old can begin the Oral Habit Elimination Program.

A 7 to 8 year old and up can start the 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 the patient's questions to be answered and to meet the Orofacial Myologist.

Contact Us for Patient Referral Business Cards or to Book a Lunch & Learn

Please Ask Any Questions You Have

*Required

Sources

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