Myofunctional therapy

Myofunctional therapy is a therapeutic approach that helps improve the development and function of the lips, tongue, cheeks, and facial muscles, including essential functions such as breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speech.
It can be used for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment when these functions are impaired or altered.

The most common symptoms that lead patients to seek a myofunctional therapist include:

• Altered breathing – mouth breathing, which is the most common cause of myofunctional disorders;
• Changes in bite (malocclusion);
• Sleep disturbances – snoring, sleep apnea;
• Short lingual frenulum (tongue-tie);
• Incorrect tongue position in the mouth;
• Thumb sucking or sucking on other objects;
• Pain in the jaw or face;
• Altered chewing and swallowing related to reduced muscle tone;
• Teeth grinding and clenching;
• Muscle imbalance in the facial, oral, and throat muscles;
• Speech disorders.

Myofunctional therapy uses exercises designed to retrain the body at the neurological level to function correctly. This helps eliminate symptoms and improve impaired functions.
The duration of therapy depends on the patient’s complaints and the treatment goals, but on average it lasts 6–8 months.

First appointment

During the first visit, a comprehensive patient assessment is performed, which includes:

• Detailed questionnaire, covering infancy, early childhood development, physical development, eating habits, sleep quality, lifestyle, overall health, and other relevant aspects;
• Objective measurements, including evaluation of bite, lip strength, mouth opening, posture, facial symmetry, and tongue frenulum;
• Functional assessment, including breathing, speech, swallowing, and chewing.

Photography and video recordings are taken during the assessment.
After the therapy, these records allow objective evaluation of the achieved results.

Individual therapy plan

Based on the assessment results and the patient’s goals, an individual therapy plan is created.

The therapy is mainly based on an exercise program consisting of 6–8 exercises, which are updated every one or two weeks.
The exercises are simple and can be performed at home, at school, at work, in the car, or in other everyday situations.

Therapy schedule

During the first two months, visits to the therapist take place once a week.
During these sessions:

• the progress of the previous week is evaluated,
• results are documented,
• a new exercise program is created for the following week.

In the following months, visits usually take place every 2–3 weeks.

The first appointment must be attended in person, while the weekly follow-up visits can be organized online.

Children under 14 years of age should attend therapy together with an adult who can supervise the exercises during the therapy period.

The therapy method used in our clinic is suitable for children from the age of 4.

Collaboration with other specialists

Myofunctional therapy works closely together with orthodontic treatment, and the best results are often achieved when both approaches are combined.

If necessary, other specialists may also be involved in the treatment process, such as:

• physiotherapists
• osteopaths
• allergists
• ENT specialists
• nutrition specialists.